Pixis's Granddaughter
by Fallaby Z
Summary: As the only female in the Pixis bloodline, Wendy grew up coddled by the guys. Against her family's wishes, she becomes a recon soldier under Levi's command, but his inability to look past her upbringing keeps her from getting the respect she craves. But Wendy Pixis has inherited more than just her grandfather's eyes, and she's not about to let her Captain talk her down. LevixOC
1. Chapter 1

Quick A/N: OMFG WHAT DID I JUST GET MYSELF INTO I'M SORRY I JUST STARTED WATCHING THE ANIME AND OMG LEVI I COULDN'T RESIST. Also, according to google, year 847 is when Levi was first promoted to captainship. I'm not super clear on the timeline so if anyone is an expert please don't hesitate to correct me (nicely)!

**For those who are wary of OC stories: please give this one a chance and read until at least chapter 5. If you get to that point and still think that this fanfic is not worth your time, by all means, close the window, write a hate review, whatever. Before you make any premature judgments, PLEASE GIVE THIS A CHANCE.**

* * *

I. Wendy

**Year 844**

"Foolish snit."

Eileen Pixis was once a woman strong of heart, a housewife through and through. Her soul lay in the family, and the loss of her husband and two of three sons to the land outside the walls had chipped away at her mind slowly but steadily. Now she was little but a scornful, hopeless wreck, sitting in her rocking chair all day. Her bright red hair had grayed, and her clear, smiling face aged into lines of hatred. The other Pixis women had tired of her harsh conduct, and even her own daughter, Wendy, constantly got frustrated with her mother's grief.

Being in a military family meant that one was accustomed to death. Tears would be shed all the same, but life waited for no one. "Time goes on." That was their family motto; the Pixis clan had long accepted that.

It didn't make the loss any easier, though, and Eileen Pixis was a lost cause.

As her mother momentarily awakened from her grieving stupor, Wendy recoiled at the expression of scorn, disgust, and sadness that marred Eileen's face. Kneeling, she clutched her mother's worn, wrinkled hands desperately. "I want to fight, Mother. I want to join the Survey Corps."

"You foolish snit," her mother snarled again, back straightening as she leaned forward, her sour breath stinking in Wendy's face. "You defile your father and brother's wishes. Do you know the reason they kept you safe here, tucked away at home, and ran straight into the line of fire?"

Wendy had heard this speech more than a thousand times. It still didn't make it hurt any less, but she was better at controlling her tears now. "To protect me from the Titans by sacrificing themselves."

"So you do know." Eileen settled back into the rocking chair, scowling as she muttered, "Foolish, ungrateful chit..."

"Mother," Wendy tried again, "you don't understand. I _am_ thankful, but I want to fight precisely _because_ I want to carry on their will...I want to make my own choices for once-"

"Want, want, want. All you do is want, like a spoiled child. We can't have everything in life, Wendy, we can't have everything..." Her voice trailed off, and presently enough, Eileen was back to rocking in her creaky chair in the dark, eyes cast above Wendy's head listlessly, her lips moving soundlessly. There was no point in trying to reach her now.

Wendy had tried everything; she had gone to all her uncles, cousins, even her aunts for help in pleading for her cause. They all said the same thing: "Wendy, don't be stupid. You're too young, too weak to go."

They failed to remember that her older cousins had enlisted far younger than she; Wendy was already fourteen, for heaven's sake! Most entered training when they were twelve or thirteen, even eleven.

So just because she was a woman, she couldn't enlist because _it wasn't a Pixis woman's duty_. A proper Pixis woman was the head of the household when the man of the house was gone. A proper Pixis woman knew how to fight, but the only weapon she was truly allowed to wield was a kitchen knife.

But they were wrong.

Eileen Pixis, Ruby Pixis, Allison Pixis, and all the Pixis women before her married into the clan. They were not born into it. They were not raised up among the Pixis men who were trained to fight as easily as they could breathe.

Wendy was just as shrewd, agile, and resilient as her brothers, uncles, cousins, and father, with a temper and ache for freedom to match. She didn't want to stay cooped up at home, in fear of the unknown. The very walls that were meant to protect her was suffocating her.

She didn't want to end up like the women before her, all killing themselves with worry each time their husbands and sons rushed off to war. She wanted to be the one to get a piece of the action. She didn't want to be left behind. Not again.

It was time to break tradition, even if it meant disobeying the wishes of every family member she had. It had come to this; it was either this last resort or to steal off in the middle of the night, never to return home again.

There was only one person left that Wendy could turn to, one last beacon of hope. One word from him, and it'd be set. No one would dare to argue.

"Grandfather?" Creeping up to the door, Wendy rapped her knuckles on the wood softly.

Commander Pixis turned, his long green cape swirling around his body as he turned towards his only granddaughter. He smiled, wrinkles deepening as he beckoned for her to enter his room. As much as Dot Pixis cherished the rest of his family, he had a special place in his heart for his granddaughter, the only daughter in the bloodline.

Wendy swallowed; despite the warm smile, her grandfather still cut an incredibly intimidating figure. She was loathe to talk to him, to tell him of her dreams, but she had no other choice. The words spilled out in a rush: "_I want to join the reconnaissance corps._"

She cringed, waiting for the explosive reaction of either "OVER MY DEAD BODY", a plain, flat-out "NEVER", or, even worse, a silent stare of disappointment. Instead, Commander Pixis turned his back on his granddaughter, sitting at the wooden table in the center of the room. It was really the only notable furnishing in her grandfather's otherwise barren bedroom and had an old chessboard set out upon it.

"Play chess with me, Wendy."

Whether this was a good or bad thing, Wendy couldn't tell, but she nodded jerkily and stepped inside the room. Nervously, Wendy crossed the room to take a seat across from the aging man. She had played chess many times before, but never with her grandfather, who was practically a chessmaster. Hell, her grandfather was basically the master of everything, and it was a well known fact that he had never been beaten by anyone, ever.

Well, except the King, but those times didn't count.

Her grandfather gave her the white chesspieces. A handicap? Not necessarily, but Wendy accepted them without arguing and began setting up the pieces. It would do her no good to argue.

She made the first move, sliding a pawn up one space, and then, the rest of the game melted into a blur until, in an unexpected moment, her grandfather uttered one word that left her confused and breathless: "Checkmate."

Wendy stared at the board dully. How did he manage to trap her king in like that? A glance at the clock hanging on the wall told her that her grandfather had beaten her in less than six minutes.

Pathetic.

"You are still weak, Wendy," Commander Pixis murmured, toying with his black king between two fingers.

At his words, Wendy stared down at her fingers forlornly, shoulders slumping forward. So he, too, didn't think she would be able to make it as a soldier, much less one in the highest-risk and most unpopular division.

Her grandfather continued in his merciless dissection of his granddaughter, seemingly oblivious to her tearing eyes and trembling shoulders. "Not only were you born in the frailer shell of a female, you were coddled as a child and raised in the capital, far away from harm. You have honed your skill and agility all your life, yet you've never tasted the harshness of true toil and work. Your brothers and cousins never used their full strength on you in sparring matches, either."

"But sir-"

Dot Pixis held up a single finger, silencing the girl immediately. "_However._" He exhaled a long, drawn-out sigh before speaking. "You are agile for your age, a bit too headstrong and shrewd for your own good, but it cannot be denied that _courage_ and ingenuity is a vice, though you get yourself into trouble far too often. And as much as I am hesitant to let you go, there is nothing I can say or do to prevent you from doing so."

Wendy's face broke into a relieved smile as she leapt across the table, scattering the chesspieces left and right, diving into the arms of her grandfather. "Thank you, sir," she breathed, "thank you so much."

Recovering from the initial shock of Wendy's sudden jump, Commander Pixis held her tightly. "I worry for you, Wendy, but it is not good to keep you confined. Besides, you're the first of the grandchildren to hold your own against me in a chess match for this long. It'd be a shame to keep you locked away at home."

**Year 847**

Wendy could hear the whispers as she passed by. It was inevitable, and she'd buffeted through three years of similar treatment, so she only allowed herself to steel her jaw as she strode on past the gossiping crowd.

"That's Wendy Pixis, right?"

"The girl with the red hair and freckles? Yeah. I heard she pulled strings with her relatives to get into the trainee camp."

"How else would a pampered, Capital-born bint graduate as valedictorian of her class? Look at how small she is. She's probably riding on the fame of her family."

"She probably slept with most of the higher-ups by now to gain their favors. Just wait 'till she actually has to fight a Titan; so much for the pretty face."

"Oh, but she'll be going to the military police. Definitely."

"Actually, I heard that she's planning on entering recon." A short, perky girl with tawny, orange-gold hair added lightly as she skipped past the group, running to catch up with the slightly taller redhead.

"Petra," Wendy acknowledged lightly with a nod, relaxing just a smidge in her friend's presence.

"Oh Wendy, shouldn't you be more _excited_? We're finally going to graduate and get sorted into our divisions! Oh, I hope we'll be able to stay in the same troop, don't you?"

"Of course!" Wendy matched Petra's bright grin with equal fervor, though with a little more trepidation. "But I can't help but feel that if I let down my guard after coming this far, I'll just fail at the finish line."

"Loosen up, Wendy, you've come this far." Grabbing her hand, Petra pulled her into the throng of trainees, all of whom were pushing into the lodge outside the drill field, clamoring for their troop assignments.

They took their places at the oblong, wooden tables set throughout the room. Wendy kept her back ramrod straight, observing the captains at the front of the room. She saw two of her uncles, who were struggling not to beam at their sons.

Wendy's eyes then flicked over to her cousins, Remy and Jeremy, who were elbowing each other excitedly. They had graduated within the top ten as well, and were well on their way to becoming police. Safe and tucked away like treasures.

The government was built rather backwards in her opinion, but as frustrating as it was, humans were all cowards in one way or another. The century-long peace had ended two years ago. So far, there was no sign of a reemergence of the Titans. People were beginning to relax again, and they began to cheer at the sight of the recon troops. But one day, if the Titans couldn't be held back, they'd get through every last wall humankind built up and crush them all.

It was fucking terrifying to think so far in the future, if it was far at all. Wendy didn't want to even consider the possibility of the Titans bursting through the fortifications of Wall Rose, though she reminded herself that she'd be leaving the walls of the cities to fight Titans face-to-face as part of the Survey Corps.

She'd be helping humanity take back what once was theirs.

Heartbeat accelerating, Wendy let loose a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Petra was right; she'd come this far, so she would not, could not give up now. She wouldn't cave and become part of the police force, slinking back to the family in shame. So much for her big talk.

Her grandfather was right, too; nothing Wendy had thought she was capable of three years ago could have prepared her for the brutal training she'd endured as a trainee. She was beaten thoroughly, physically and psychologically, by her trainers and her fellow trainees.

But she was strong now. Strong enough to take on a Titan. She'd survived.

Wendy inhaled and exhaled again, calming herself. She'd enlist in reconnaissance. Besides, she had her pride to uphold.

* * *

"That idiot."

Levi, newly promoted as corporal, cocked his head to the side as the man next to him cursed under his breath. "Captain Devon?" he asked, somewhat curious. The large, dark-haired man usually didn't have such public outbursts, and was known to be one of the milder leaders.

"It's my stupid sister," he explained agitatedly, eyes stuck on a petite girl with a shocking head of red hair, cropped close to her ears. Her eyes were far too large for her face, which was dotted all over with freckles. She had an innocent look about her, like a little rabbit that had unknowingly walked into a cave of wolves. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Levi also didn't picture Devon as a man with a sister complex. "You two don't look alike," he commented.

Devon shrugged. "Deedee looks like my mother, the rest of us take after our father. She was a preemie, too; the runtiest runt of them all." He heaved a huge sighed that rumbled in his chest. "I'm worried sick about her already."

"I suppose she'll be going into the police, then." As it was for most born with golden spoons tucked in their mouths. Of course, veterans like Devon were exceptions to the rule once they proved themselves.

Devon scoffed. "As if. She hasn't listened to a word of reason since my dad and brothers got themselves killed. Doesn't want to go into the police, doesn't want the stationary guard either. Fancies herself a recon type of girl, 'specially after Wall Maria got torn down."

"Naive," Levi mused.

"You're telling me. She's the baby of the family and I am not sending her into the jaws of a Titan. She's scared of spiders, for goodness's sake. But what the Commander says goes." He sighed. "You have no idea how many strings we've pulled to give her loopholes, exit routes...you'll take care of her for me, won't you, Captain?"

It was Levi's turn to scowl, though Devon didn't notice and continued chattering on. The scouting legion was no place for cowards, dreamers, or princesses of powerful clans.

_Well, will you look at that, Wendy Pixis is all three._

* * *

"Our legion captain is Captain Levi," Petra announced as the two girls headed towards the drill field to assemble. "He's new, isn't he? Rumor has it he's worth a whole legion of scouts."

"I don't know about that," Wendy replied as they got closer to the sparse crowd of new scouters, "but I'm glad my brother didn't make a huge fuss in front of everyone about it. He already babies me enough."

"Oh, he just loves you!" Petra cooed, pressing her palms together with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Shut up. The captain's talking."

As if on cue, Captain Levi's attention flicked over to the two girls. "You there. Since you're so ready to speak, why don't you introduce yourselves?"

Taking things in stride, as always, Petra saluted. "Petra Ral, sir. Excited to report for duty."

His glare didn't fade as it shifted to Wendy; in fact, it seemed to intensify. She gulped but focused on steeling her stare and saluted. Growing up in an all-male family taught her one thing: to stand up to men bigger than you (though Captain Levi was on the rather short side). The trick was to keep your chin up and most importantly, _not break eye contact_.

"Wendy Pixis, sir." Wendy was glad that her voice came out strong and confident. Perhaps a little too cocky.

"Hm." Levi's frown deepened and he gestured to the field with his thumb. "Pixis, laps for an hour before you join us for debriefing. Everyone else, stay here."

Wendy's jaw dropped, affronted as she glanced at Petra, who was shocked as well. "Captain, with all due respect, it wasn't all Wendy's fault," Petra cut in.

The captain looked even more irritated. "Then Pixis will do your share as well. Two hours."

Just her luck, Captain Levi was a chauvinistic bastard like the rest of them. Wendy knew better than to gripe and disobey orders though, no matter unfair it was, and took off at a light jog.

"I want you _sprinting_!" Levi ordered from his position at the forefront of the group.

Grumbling, Wendy sped up, wondering if she could risk flashing her new captain the middle finger.

* * *

Irwin Smith sidled up to Levi during dinner time, a knowing look on his face. "I saw what you did to Pixis. Gave her laps and tore her a strip for a minor offense. For a new captain, you sure aren't giving yourself a very nice reputation."

Levi acknowledged his superior with a stiff nod. "She thinks far too highly of herself. If she enters the field like this, she'll come back with her tail between her legs, if she returns at all."

"Aren't we all like that?" Irwin smiled. "From the way I see it, you're prejudiced and maybe even a little bit worried for her."

"You misunderstand me," Levi replied smoothly as he lifted his teacup to his lips. "This is mere protocol. Initiation procedure for the incompetent, if you will." He took a sip of his tea and spat it out. "_PIXIS_," he growled across the dining hall.

A mop of red hair shot up from one of the tables. Visibly fatigued, Wendy slunked up to the captain, her pale, freckled face sunburnt and peeling at the nose. She truly looked like a wreck. "Yessir?"

"What is this?"

"Tea, sir," Wendy sighed.

"You call this sewage _tea_?" Levi dumped the contents of his cup onto the dirt floor, where it soaked into a wet stain. "Remake it."

Obviously struggling not to grumble, Wendy took the cup and shuffled away. Irwin noticed that her arms and in fact, every inch of skin showing were scarlet red and peeling. He raised an eyebrow at the man next to him, who had gone back to sipping his soup daintily. "_Mere_ _initiation procedures_? Why don't you lay off on her? She went through the three years of hell just like everyone else."

"On the crutches of her family name," Levi spat. "I will not tolerate anyone who does not climb here on their own two feet."

"She's not like that," Irwin commented as he snatched a morsel of bread from Levi's plate, chewing on it contentedly. "I've known her for years through her cousins and really, she has a good head on her shoulders. Trust me on it."

"Did her brother send you to plead for her benefit? Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed, Commander." Sniffing, Levi wiped his fingers on his napkin as he finished his meal. "At any rate, I merely wish to take her down a few notches so she finally gets it in her head that she isn't a princess here."

At that moment, a scarred, tomato-red arm slammed a fresh cup of tea in front of Levi's face. Some of it sloshed out onto the table. Droplets dotted the captain's face, irking him even more. Both men lifted their heads to find Wendy looming over them, sparks of fury dancing out of her bright amber eyes. She was quite the picture, really: flushed cheeks even redder than before, lips stretched in a scowl to reveal a crooked tooth, fiery red hair plastered to her forehead in sweat.

"I'll have you know that your decision suits me just fine, Captain," she snarled. "I'm no princess and I don't plan to be one. Oh, and enjoy your _tea_...sir," she added belatedly before spinning on her heel and stomping out the door into the night.

Irwin laughed outright, his commander facade cracking for a brief moment before sealing back together. "The kid always did have spunk. Don't begrudge her for it, Levi."

"See, this is what I'm telling you. This impudence needs to be beaten out of her," Levi grumbled as he lifted the teacup to his lips anyway. The flavor was too faint this time, having not been steeped long enough. Dim girl.

"Give her a chance, Levi," Irwin insisted gently as he rose from the table. "I'm not telling you to stop disciplining her...but just treat her equally, all right?"

Levi grunted. Not if he could help it.

* * *

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

"Who?" Unfazed, Petra continued to rub the soothing salve up and down Wendy's sunburnt arms. They were on Wendy's bunk in the barracks, Wendy stripped down to her pants and lying on her chest as Petra tended to her burns.

"Who else?" Wendy spat. "I swear, that man must have a stick the size of a Titan up his ass." She hissed as Petra rubbed a little too hard at a particularly sore spot. "Ouch, watch it."

"Well, he _was_ pretty harsh," Petra mused as she moved her ministrations onto Wendy's back. "But who cares, Captain Levi's gorgeous and he's known for being hard to approach, especially by girls. The fact that he's singling you out so early in the game is remarkable in itself, but not only that, he has warmed up to you really, really quickly."

"That's not a friendly kind of warming-up-to, that's a flat out I-fucking-hate-you-because-I'm-an-asshole." Wendy turned her head, peering over her shoulder to glance at the sunburnt skin. "He thinks I'm some kind of princess, you know that?"

"Ooh, romantic."

"...You've reached an all new level of stupid, Petra. Congratulations."

Unabashed, Petra giggled. "Thanks. So, what're you going to do now?"

"I'm going to fucking teach him a lesson, that's what."

Several gasps and even chuckles sounded throughout the small cabin. Clearly, the entire female barracks were listening in on their conversation. Word had traveled fast about the redheaded girl who'd managed to piss the newest, up-and-coming captain off on her first day.

The girl on the bunk below them, Emmy, chimed in on the conversation gently. "Don't you think you should, you know, lie low for a couple days?"

"Naw." Wendy propped her chin up on her pillow. "Our damn captain is going to find out what happens when he messes with a Pixis. You just watch."

* * *

Review and let me know if there are any pressing issues. (PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT COMMANDER PIXIS GOT CASTRATED OR SOMETHING SO HE WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN OK I WANT HIM AS A CRAZY OLD GRANDFATHER WITH A HUGEASS FAMILY SO YEAH)

seriously though, levi omfg


	2. Chapter 2

To everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story: thank you so much! I can't even begin to describe how you all mean to me. Thank you for giving this story a chance, despite it featuring several OCs.

II. HQ

Wendy woke up with the sun the next day and decided she was feeling well enough for a morning run. Her sunburned arms and legs still stung when she moved, but the pain was bearable enough for some light exercise. It had become her habit to go out jogging in the morning, before anyone else woke up. It helped her relax, to think, and to, most importantly, stay in shape.

Hopping lithely out of her top bunk, Wendy winced as she landed a little too loudly on the wooden floor, waking up Emmy. Disgruntled, the girl peered out of her mess of brown curls.

"Sorry," Wendy whispered. "Go back to sleep."

Sleepily, Emmy mumbled a response and buried her head back into her pillow.

Emmy was one of the sweetest girls Wendy had ever met; she was all arms, legs, and awkwardness, but thoughtful and eager to please. She'd even saved dinner for Wendy, who had come in late and exhausted from the laps and debriefing. From that point on, Wendy held Emmy in very high regard. Not many would do such a thing when food was already hard to come by.

Sneaking out of the barracks, Wendy ran to the drills field, taking off at a brisk jog. She worked up a good sweat by the time she heard a familiar, sickening voice yell: "PIXIS!"

"And Her Majesty arrives," Wendy grumbled as she turned around to see Captain Levi standing at the entrance to the field, arms folded and customary scowl on his face. "YES SIR?" she hollered back.

"GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"UGH!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"NOTHING, SIR!" Not wanting to lose her voice in a shouting match, Wendy hastily trotted over to the captain, whose grimace deepened as she got closer. "Yessir?"

"Who gave you the permission to go out and run?" Levi asked harshly. "Everyone else has packed up and is at breakfast."

_Has it been that long already?_ Wendy wondered, feeling particularly brazen as she replied, "With all due respect, you didn't seem to have much a problem with it yesterday." She grinned wolfishly as his face pinched up even more. "Are you going to have me run laps again, sir?"

Haughtily, he changed the subject. "You're covered in grime. Take a shower before we depart."

"Why?" Wendy cocked her head, wiping a layer of sweat off her face with a sullied sleeve. The captain grimaced visibly, and she snorted. "It's counter-productive, since I'm just going to get all sweaty again after half a day of riding. Sir," she added after a moment's pause.

"You are _disgusting_."

"I prefer to call it efficiency, sir," Wendy shot back, taking advantage of her slightly taller height to look down at the captain.

He glared at her, somehow managing to look intimidating despite his small stature.

Bristling, she glared back. _I am not backing down._

"Pixis, I will hose you down if I have to."

Impudently, Wendy saluted. "Good luck doing that, sir."

Wendy waited all of two seconds before she took off at a fast run. As someone on the smaller side, Wendy had learned to use her petite size and flexibility to her advantage and focused on training her agility, resulting in her record as one of the fastest trainees in her year.

Her lead, however, was swiftly lost when she felt a strong hand yank on the collar of her thin, sweat-soaked shirt, pulling her into a pair of firm arms that clamped around her body. Caught off guard, Wendy used her momentum to attempt throwing the man over her head...which failed brilliantly when Levi's muscles tensed behind her and grappled her down to the ground.

"Now that you've ruined _my_ uniform," Captain Levi grumped in her ear, sounding more irritated than daunted, "you're going to reap what you've sown."

Wendy swallowed nervously.

* * *

They set out an hour later deep into the forest.

Wendy rode distractedly on her horse, narrowly missing the arms of a nearby tree as she sneezed for the third time due to her sopping wet hair. Captain Levi had been true to his word and, in front of everyone in the scouting legion, dumped bucket after bucket of water onto her fully clothed body. Then he'd broken out a bar of soap and scrubbed it through her head so thoroughly that her scalp hurt, disparaging her the entire time.

Most everyone laughed at the spectacle of their captain, whose sleeves and pantlegs were rolled up like he was about to wash an animal, standing akimbo over the pouting ginger's head as she sat in the wet puddle, bearing his ministrations with increasing impatience.

"Why are you such a clean freak?" Wendy asked at one point, foregoing manners altogether. She got a bar of soap in her mouth for that.

Dodging another branch, Wendy wiped her mouth on her sleeve in disgust. She could still taste the waxy talc on her tongue and it was exceedingly unpleasant.

The only redeeming aspect of the entire situation was that people had found it much easier to approach Wendy after seeing the humiliating 'bucket incident', as most now called it. Most of the men and some of the girls were wary of approaching Wendy at first due to her formidable surname, but after seeing her thoroughly embarrassed in front of the entire Survey Corps, nobody thought her to be very intimidating.

Some of this attention, however, was unwanted. On cue, Auruo rode forward on his brown horse, leering at Wendy, who leaned away from him uncomfortably. "What do you want, Bossard?" she snarled.

"Nothing, just admiring your bedraggled state," Auruo cackled. "Has anyone told you that you look like a drowned dog-ow!" The rest of his sentence was abruptly caught off when the seasoned soldier bit his tongue.

"What, cat got your tongue?" Wendy replied saucily. "Or should I say _dog_?"

"Shaddup," Auruo mumbled, blood spilling out of the corner of his mouth.

Captain Levi called for a quick respite fifteen minutes later, strange considering he'd been so adamant about riding nonstop until they reached headquarters. Wendy later figured out what was the cause of the sudden break when she happened upon a woman kneeling next to the river, hurling the contents of her stomach out. Captain Levi was standing over her, face even more pinched up than usual and obviously fighting the urge to run away or, worse, vomit himself.

Most of the woman's long, dark brown hair was tied messily into a ponytail, but several large chunks had fallen into her face and were getting stained with puke. Immediately, Wendy stormed over and elbowed Levi out of the way, scooping the woman's hair up and out of the projectile's way. "Sir, if you're going to just stand there gawping," she told him shortly, "you might want to make yourself useful and hold her hair."

Levi scowled and gingerly grabbed the fistful of hair, grimacing when flecks of vomit flew backwards into his face. "I was merely attempting to determine the cause of the vomiting." He pressed his lips together irritatedly when the woman heaved forward again. "Hanji, tell me what's wrong."

The woman gurgled in response.

Hanji? _Ah_, Wendy thought, _Hanji Zoe_. The famously eccentric scientist. She'd heard the name pass through her grandfather's lips a number of times.

Chewing on her upper lip, Wendy glanced at down at the still-hurling woman. Clearly, she was in no place to speak. Perhaps it was just motion sickness, a hangover, or at the most, food poisoning.

_Wait._ Wendy looked closer at the puke chunks tangled into Hanji's hair. _Blood._

"Permission to leave the site, Captain?" Wendy asked, eyes still dissecting the vomit.

Levi gave her a sideways glare that screamed, _Are you kidding me?_ In response, Wendy was forced to backtrack defensively. "I have some preliminary training in herbology and I could at least get something for her stomach, though I think it's a little more than just food poisoning or motion sickness."

The moment Levi hesitated, Wendy swooped in for the kill. "If she's important enough for you to stand here holding her pukey hair, you'd find the warmth in your cold, cold heart to let me find some simple herbs in the forest."

"Fine," Levi bit out, "but take someone with you. And don't think for a second that I'm letting you off the hook."

* * *

Emmy ended up being dragged along into the forest, having been the first person to come across Wendy's path. She trailed behind the ginger quietly while Wendy's mind was stuck on the poor, wretching girl at the riverbed with her hair held back by Captain Levi. Absently, she wondered how on earth they'd become so close. Perhaps the captain had a heart after all, underneath the frosty and germaphobic exterior.

Spying a familiar spot of mulch growing out of tree bark, Wendy snapped it up and stuck it in her little waistpouch. Getting on her hands and knees (so much for the bucket bath), she dug around the forest, collecting more plants and wild grasses as she went. On the way, she found some edible root plants and stuck one in her mouth, chewing it slowly as she scurried through the wood. There was something about the bitter, herby taste that made her feel connected to the outside world, the world beyond the walls of the cities.

The world contaminated with Titans, but were nevertheless beautiful in her dreams.

She offered one to Emmy. "Want one? It's good for energy."

"Uh...no thanks." Emmy, looking rather out of place as she followed Wendy around, asked hesitantly, "Um...how do you know all this? We weren't ever taught herbology as trainees, and you didn't grow up in the outskirts, either."

Stiffening, Wendy got quiet, her fingers pausing as she lifted a small cropping of herbs out from the soil, separating the roots from the leaves. "My mom. She was from a village that specialized in this stuff, so she taught it to me."

Thinking of her mother brought back uncomfortable memories of home, of returning to a dark house with no brothers, no father, and one very depressed mother. The nostalgia of escaping her lessons to hide within the forest swept over Wendy as she sighed heavily. Even after so many years, the searing pain of her father and brothers' deaths had only dulled to a bitter ache.

She wondered how her mother was doing. Wendy hadn't gone to pay the woman a visit since she graduated, dreading her return to the house.

Watching Wendy, Emmy coughed jerkily, terrified that she'd somehow brought up bad memories for the girl. Snapping back to attention, Wendy joked halfheartedly, "My brothers weren't patient enough to putter around with the plants, so it came down to me to learn it. Besides, I took any chance to get out into the wild that I could. It was...nicer in the forest."

The woods were quiet as neither of them spoke for a long time, Emmy helpfully gathering some plants (that turned out to be weeds, but Wendy pocketed them anyway for the girl's sake) and Wendy searching for some mushrooms, brooding over her mother.

After a time, the lanky brunette sat down in the dirt, watching Wendy as she continued to walk from tree to tree, stooping occasionally to paw at the dirt. "Were you lonely?" Emmy asked suddenly. "I mean, as the only girl in your family."

Wendy paused. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at times, but my cousins are pretty noisy anyway, when they bothered to come home and visit." Most of them were in the military police and had established their own households, so the Pixis house became rather empty with only the adults and the few children left. With very little people to spar with as she grew older, Wendy found herself studying botany and biding her time reading instead.

Emmy gulped nervously. "Well, if it helps, I'm glad you're here now." She smiled hesitantly. "...We're friends, right?"

"Yeah." Chest lightening, Wendy couldn't keep the earsplitting grin from taking over her face and turned away, embarrassed. Coughing, she stood up, brushing the dirt from her knees. "Let's go back. We've been gone long enough."

They began the trek back to the rest site in silence again, though this was a more comfortable sort. Wendy found herself having a little skip and jaunt in her steps. Even now, she couldn't help but feel giddy whenever she made a new friend. In the competitive trainee environment, not many approached her with the purpose of true friendship. Most either wanted to benefit off of the Pixis name or hated her for being a Pixis and therefore having certain advantages. Not all the trainees were like that, of course, but the only person from their year who liked Wendy for herself was Petra.

Perhaps making a fool of herself was a blessing in disguise. People didn't see her as Pixis's Granddaughter or The Valedictorian anymore. They saw her as Wendy, the silly, stupid person who continuously found herself at odds with the captain.

Nothing more, nothing less. And that was just how Wendy liked it.

* * *

Levi watched skeptically as Wendy Pixis approached, carrying a bundle of assorted herbs in her fists. Hanji hadn't calmed in the least after she'd emptied her stomach; she carried on, back arched, dry heaving into the river.

He had an inkling of what had caused Hanji's sudden sickness; no doubt it had something to do with one of her crazy, harebrained experiments. It was clear that she needed help, but he didn't want to trust this feisty, impudent, too-young girl just yet.

Wendy shouldered past him, bending down to press her hand lightly on the scientist's back. "Miss? How are you feeling?"

Hanji paused in between heaves to croak, "Horrible. I feel like all of my organs have been knotted together."

Producing a handkerchief from her cloak's inner pocket, Wendy carefully wiped Hanji's mouth. "I'm going to lay you on your back and look at your condition, okay?" After a brisk nod from the woman, Wendy carefully flipped Hanji over, ignoring the putrid smell of vomit with a surprisingly straight face.

She picked up one limp, pale wrist gently, peering at the veins before she set it down. "Do you have an idea of how this may have occurred?"

"Uh..." Hanji looked sheepish as she laughed weakly. "It was a science experiment..." The woman was loquacious even after vomiting for thirty minutes straight and began chattering on in a croaky voice.

As he automatically tuned out Hanji's rambling, Levi noticed that Wendy's voice had adopted a strange, tranquil quality as she spoke to the scientist. Her features seemed gentler, yet more confident as she spoke to the woman. As much as he didn't like to admit it, it was clear that she had a gift for her craft. Her fighting skill had yet to be proven, though...

Wendy picked out several plants from her bundle and broke them up into small pieces before giving them to Hanji to chew. As the scientist chewed slowly with a pained expression, Wendy put her hand on her stomach and rubbed slowly.

"Oh, that hurts," Hanji complained through a mouthful of brownish-green mulch.

"Bear with it," Wendy replied, unconcerned. "I'm just helping your digestive system work. With the help of the herbs, you should be up and running in no time. And _no more eating unidentified objects_."

"Yes, ma'am," Hanji mumbled, a stream of brown dribbling out the corner of her mouth as she spoke. Levi felt like puking himself and strode forward, snatching the handkerchief out of Wendy's hand and rubbing it across the woman's face roughly.

After a while, Hanji felt well enough to sit up for the first time without heaving. "Hey, I do feel a lot better!" She grinned and stood to her full height, towering over Wendy and sticking her hand out. "Thanks for that. I'm Hanji. Hanji Zoe."

Wendy took the outstretched hand without hesitation and shook it firmly. "Wendy Pixis. Anytime."

Levi interrupted, tired of standing around doing nothing. He thrust the dirty handkerchief back into Wendy's hands. "Let's get a move on. We've wasted enough time here."

* * *

They got to headquarters, which turned out to be an ancient castle, in record time. Captain Levi set the newbies to work immediately...cleaning HQ, which was due for its monthly scrub-out, as he put it.

Scrubbing the grime off of each old tile took ages and got boring quickly. Unwilling to be caught slacking off, however, Petra shook off the boredom and went back to her dusting.

Wendy, on the other hand, was clearly not in the mood to clean. After she had sat on the window ledge for a few minutes, Petra observed a wide grin split across her friend's face. _Uh-oh._

The girl hopped off the ledge, ripping her boots off her feet hurriedly and rolling her pantlegs up. After tossing her dusty shoes on a table, she dashed over to the large bucket of soapy water and tipped it over triumphantly.

Petra squealed, jumping away from the miniature tidal wave. "What do you think you're doing, Wendy?" she yelped. "Captain Levi's going to be furious."

"Just watch." Taking two of the rough scrubbing brushes, Wendy fitted her feet into the straps where her hands were supposed to go. She swayed for a second as she caught her balance, and then slid awkwardly around the floor, rubbing her brush-shoes against the tile. "See? I'm cleaning! Captain Levi can't say no to cleaning."

"You're an idiot," Petra sighed, but she couldn't help grinning. "Let me try."

"No! Get your own brushes!" Wendy retorted, reaching over to grab a mop and wielding it like a sword. "En garde, thou churlish, clapper-clawed gudgeon!"

"You just want to get into a fight with me, don't you?" Petra accused, sticking her feet into her own scrubbing brushes and grabbing a broom. "All right, fine by me. Just don't cry when I beat your sorry ass!"

"And who was the valedictorian in this group?" Moving first, Wendy leapt forward to slash at Petra with the stick end of her mop, wobbling the entire way across the stone paved floor.

"You won only by one point, and that was because I let you!" Petra dodged the hit, using her broom as a tool to propel her across the floor as she staged her counterattack. She skated around Wendy gracefully, who was currently floundering in her makeshift shoes.

"You _sneezed_, Petra, don't try and play the tragic hero," Wendy shot back, finally regaining her balance just enough to dodge the advent of Petra's broomstick.

"And you took advantage of my vulnerability!" Petra bantered playfully.

"All's fair in love and war," Wendy crowed as she dove forward on one foot. Quickly losing her footing, she slipped on the soapy floor and landed hard on her bottom, mop flying through the air just as the castle front door opened.

Both Petra and Wendy's gasps got stuck somewhere in the middle of their throats as Captain Levi threateningly plucked the wet mop from his face, enraged.

"_Pixis. Outside. Now._"

* * *

Erd Gin was a typical logical, rational man who could reason through any problem that manifested in front of him.

However, he could not understand _why_ Captain Levi and Wendy Pixis couldn't come within twenty feet of each other without one somehow aggravating the other.

It was common knowledge that Captain Levi was difficult to get along with, but he was as fair as he was skilled despite being grumpy most of the time. Wendy Pixis seemed like a upstanding young woman as well, yet it was as if the two could not resist the urge to rip each other's hair out upon sight.

It had been a day since he had first dragged her out in front of everyone to scrub the filth from her skin. Since then, Captain Levi and Wendy continued to fight like cat and dogs, causing spectacles all over the place. After the head-washing incident was the cleaning incident, resulting in Captain Levi punishing Wendy by making her sharpen the entire scouting legion's blades.

Upon discovering that this meant she'd have to skip dinner for the second time, Wendy Pixis had lost her temper and breached serious protocol by shouting at the captain, earning her another loud browbeating in front of the entire reconnaissance troop.

Erd had believed that so many threatening lectures in one day would suitably cow the girl into submission; she was barely eighteen, after all, and not even grown men could stand their ground when facing the diminutive but powerful young captain.

Aware that everyone in the dining hall was watching her, Wendy Pixis quieted down considerably after Corporal Levi had raised his voice at her. She bowed her head and apologized in a low voice.

Logically, Erd thought the fight was over, that the tug-of-war between the amateur and the seasoned veteran was finished. But when Wendy Pixis lifted her head, a definite spark flashed through her amber eyes.

She hadn't given up, not yet.

Erd took a swig of his water. If Captain Levi failed to scare her, perhaps meeting the Titans would.

Hell, the thought of seeing them _again_ the next day sent a chill up his spine. Not that he'd admit to it.

* * *

A/N: Sorry not much has happened in this chapter. I'm just slowly introducing more characters in, prepping everyone for the big chapter coming up. Next time, we'll see how Petra, Emmy, and Wendy react to their first Titans!

Again, please review and tell me what you think. They give me lots of motivation to keep on going, not to mention I have no idea how I'm doing without someone telling me.


	3. Chapter 3

III. Attack

Wendy adjusted the straps of her 3DMG for the last time. The air in the girls' sleeping area was unusually sober as they finished their final checks and filed out of the room silently.

Sleeping on the stone floor hadn't done much for her back, but Wendy refused to complain when she had at least been in a fluffy, warm sleeping bag. Others weren't so lucky and were forced to sleep with just a thin blanket.

Petra stole up next to Wendy, grabbing hold of her hand and squeezing it. Wendy glanced sideways at her friend, who continued to smile breezily as if she were going to a tea party.

So Petra was just as nervous as everyone else.

"Our usual, right?" Petra whispered, referencing their dual combat technique.

"Yeah, the usual."

Petra and Wendy's fighting styles had a chemistry rare to come by with the 3DMG. If Wendy was unconventional and imaginative, Petra was precise and calculating. Petra was more of a strategist, thinking four or five steps ahead, while Wendy reacted fast and made decisions faster (though they weren't always the most intelligent of choices). They worked well apart, but they were the best together. Anyone who had observed them spar knew that.

The group filed into the stables, where they were each given a horse. "Establish a bond with them now, but don't get too close to them," the stablemaster advised. "We don't need soldiers mourning the death of their horses."

Despite his wisdom, Wendy couldn't help stroking the nose of her horse, Windy. "Wendy and Wind," she whispered softly. "That's rather fitting, isn't it, partner?"

Wind whuffled its response and Wendy couldn't help but smile, even with the smelly spit that came with it. "We'll do all right, I think," she murmured as she led the chestnut stallion out of the stable, mounting it expertly as she joined her troop.

Their goal was to establish a frontal outpost outside of the walls as well as secure one of the smaller towns within the territory of Wall Maria. The legion was separated into groups of five led by a commanding officer.

A calculated tactician, Irwin Smith was aware of Petra and Wendy's compatibility, and to their relief, put the two in the same group, along with three others: Emmy and two veterans, Robert and James. The squad was headed by Hanji, who had recovered in the two days since the puking ordeal.

Wendy felt a little relieved when Hanji recognized her and gave her an encouraging smile. "It'll be interesting to see how you all react to the Titans. Personally, I think they have their own charm." Her lips widened into an enormous grin. "In fact, I'm hoping to take home an Aberrant or two."

Wendy wondered how on earth anyone could find grotesque, giant humanlike bodies sans-genitalia _charming_, much less take them home with you like a pet found on the streets, but perhaps that was what set Hanji Zoe apart from the others. She hoped she wouldn't be too unduly fazed by the monsters, at least not enough that she wouldn't recover like some of her cousins. She had known one or two that had returned from the reconnaissance troops with severe PTSD, and the sight hadn't been pretty, not in the slightest.

_I'll show that darn captain,_ Wendy thought viciously, _I'll show him that I'm worthy of being valedictorian of my class. I'll beat those Titans up to a pulp, and he'll have to respect me then._

Then they were off, galloping on their horses towards the abandoned town. At the outskirts, they dismounted, jogging into the town and watching for any sight of the Titans.

Wendy heard them before anyone else had: the loud, foreboding thudding that preceded a large hand crushing a dilapidated roof, followed by a gaping mouth, a head, the rest of the bare body. She felt Petra stiffen beside her and heard Emmy's barely concealed gasp before her raucous, beating heart overwhelmed all else. She vaguely registered the more experienced members of the group leaping forward to combat the Titan, which was followed by two more approaching from the left and right.

Hanji was _laughing_. Laughing, as she swung easily around the Titan to lob off a piece of its neck, sending it toppling.

Incomprehensible.

Frozen stiff, Wendy felt her knees lock together and tremble with fright as she took in the sight of Hanji leaping from building to building, taking a large hunk of flesh out of the first Titan. It shook the ground as it fell, mouth still widened in a gaping smile.

"Wendy! Get away!" Petra's insistent voice pulled Wendy out of her stupor, and she felt herself being dragged into the air, away from an approaching Titan. It was fast, faster than anything she'd ever seen before.

"An Aberrant," she heard herself whisper distantly before a hard force struck the side of her face.

Petra stood before her, hand red and stinging and face full of fury. "Wendy, what are you doing just _standing_ there? We need to fight!"

_Move,_ Wendy told herself.

_Move._

_Move._

_MOVE!_

Her legs refused to cooperate, and when Wendy stayed mute, Petra flashed her an irritated look. "We're all scared, Wendy. Scared to death. But it's either fight or die. You need to make a choice." Shooting a spike out from her gear, Petra latched onto a building and looped towards the Aberrant. She leaped down towards the running giant and missed, shoulder slamming into the parallel building but catching herself, shooting another spike out to try again.

Wendy glanced back at the fast-approaching Aberrant and then transferred her gaze down to her 3DGM.

Three years of complete hell. Had she really spent spent three years in purgatory just to run away? To cower in fear? To run away and...die?

Wendy found herself thinking of her brothers and father. This, this _monster_ killed her family. It took the light away from her mother's eyes. It made their house cold and dark. It made her life dank and lonely.

A Pixis never ran from a fight.

Biting back the tears that sprung to her eyes, Wendy unsheathed her blades, latched onto a building, and leaped.

There was a strange brand of comfort in the feeling of whirling through the air, circling around the Titan and slamming her dual blades into its flesh. Petra had sliced a hunk out of the Titan's Achilles tendon, causing it to stumble to the ground. Wendy's knives sank into the Aberrant's neck like butter, cleaving away a crescent-shaped block of skin and leaving her shaking and bloodied.

Her first kill.

She had thought that she would gain a sense of satisfaction once she killed a Titan, yet all she could feel was the harrowing fear and dull emptiness seeing the Titan gave her. Wendy wanted to go home, to go back into the safety of her family's arms, to return to the sheltered life of an almost-princess.

The sickening sound of Emmy's scream jolted Wendy back to reality, and before she knew it, she was up and running, leaping through the air to find purchase against the cobbled walls of the buildings.

Emmy was shrieking bloody murder as she struggled to escape from a Titan's grip. "Help!" she cried as she caught sight of Wendy. "Wendy! Petra!"

As Emmy got nearer to the Titan's salivating mouth, Wendy and Petra sprang into action, Petra heading to the neck while Wendy swung towards the Titan's hand. Emmy's face was contorted into a mix of tears and relief as Wendy began her descent towards her, raising her blades to slice through the creature's wrist tendons.

The Titan's hand twitched convulsively as Petra's blades sheared off a piece of its neck. Wendy swung a second too late: Emmy's body burst in a shower of blood as she let loose one final scream before tumbling down from the beast's palm.

Shooting her 3DGM towards the building across from them for purchase, Wendy swung desperately to catch the broken girl, heaving under her weight and tumbling to the floor. Stricken, she set Emmy down on the ground, ignoring the copious amount of blood staining her uniform and crusting across her face as she leaned towards her mouth, listening intently.

Petra landed shortly after her, stumbling over her feet to rush to Emmy's side. "How is she?"

Emmy's eyes were dull and listless. She wasn't breathing. Her heart wasn't beating.

Unspeaking, Wendy immediately folded her hands across Emmy's chest and began to compress her chest. "Bad. Not breathing. Ribs broken, crushing on her internal organs, probably." She paused to tilt Emmy's head backwards and puff in two breaths through her mouth, inflating her lungs. More compressions. "But if I can get her breathing again, I can probably save her with what I have."

After the third set of compressions, Wendy felt Emmy breathe lightly, her heart stuttering back into life. She let loose a sigh of relief, relaxing to the ground, dazed.

Ghosting her fingers across Emmy's crushed, limp body, Wendy realized that many of her organs were crushed together from the impact. "My herbs won't be able to help much," she whispered brokenly as Petra bent to help her . "She's in critical danger. If we don't get her to a proper medic soon-"

Both Petra and Wendy heard the pounding footsteps of another Aberrant a minute too late, looking up only when the creature rounded the corner, heading straight for the three girls. Shocked still for a moment, Petra snapped into action as she discarded her broken blades for fresh ones. "Take care of Emmy. I'll handle this bad boy."

As Petra zipped away, Wendy began digging furiously into her waistpouches, searching for her meager collection of combative roots and herbs. Finding some, she ripped into them with her teeth, grinding them into a moist paste and shoving as much as she could down Emmy's throat until she felt her swallow weakly.

Wendy cast a worried look at Petra behind her, who was weaving from building to building in an attempt to stun the raging Titan before attempting a lethal kill. She couldn't abandon Petra to her own devices, but she couldn't save Emmy unless she found a proper medic.

She had to make a choice.

Petra or Emmy.

There was no way Petra could handle an Aberrant on her own. In fact, it was already overwhelming her. Wendy twitched when she heard Petra cry out in pain behind her.

Petra was going to die. Emmy was going to die. And if she didn't act soon, she was going to die, too.

Shakily, she cast another glance at Emmy, who was still unconscious.

There was still a possibility for Emmy to live. But that would come at the cost of Petra's life.

One or the other.

Petra's words rang loudly in her head over the sound of her blood thumping in her ears. "_We're all scared, Wendy. Scared to death. But it's either fight or die. You need to make a choice._"

Fight or die.

Make a choice.

"I'm sorry," Wendy breathed brokenly as she stood on wobbly knees. "I'm sorry." Gripping her blades tightly, she turned her back on the shallowly breathing woman and rushed to aid her best friend.

_I can't lose her. Not Petra._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry._

Tears flooded her eyes and made it difficult to see, but she could find the Titan's neck well enough.

She found her target, and like a robot, she swung as hard as she could.

The Titan crumbled to the floor.

_Emmy, hysterically screeching for help at the top of her lungs. Emmy, crushed in between the Titan's fingertips. Emmy, hurtling towards the ground. Emmy, barely breathing but still desperately clinging to life._

Wendy tottered despondently towards Emmy's body.

_Emmy, smiling in teary relief when she thought she'd be saved._

There was no heartbeat.

Too much time had passed.

_Emmy, lying lifeless on the paved ground, because she was the road not taken._

A soulsucking scream ripping from Wendy's lungs, Wendy slammed her fists into the ground, not caring that the skin across her knuckles ripped open. The blood splayed across was a small price to pay compared to the pain and guilt of losing Emmy.

_She was right there in front of me. I could've done something, anything to save her. But I didn't._

Vacantly, she felt Petra's arms wrap around her, trembling.

"I am a coward," Wendy croaked as she sat listlessly in the puddle of blood, her tears washing the blood on her face into little forked roads. "I am a failure."

Petra, she knew, could offer no words of comfort, instead choosing to bury her head into Wendy's back as she sobbed brokenly. "Thank you," she choked out, "I'm sorry, Wendy. But thank you."

Eyes boring holes into Emmy's corpse, Wendy shook Petra off as she turned to face two more approaching Titans.

Mutely, she ran forward, blades at hand.

* * *

A shot rang out in the distance, a green smoke signal rising into the air.

The battle was over.

They had taken the town.

Humanity had won a battle.

But still, they had lost.

Wendy stood in a grave of corpses, covered from head to toe in blood, eyes lifted to the sky.

* * *

Levi hadn't realized that he'd been wondering about her until he heard the whispers, registering that his ears immediately perked up at the mere mention of her name.

Had she survived? How had she fared?

_...Wendy Pixis..._

_...killed ten Titans on her own..._

_...covered in blood..._

_...lost a friend..._

The whispers ceased abruptly as every head in the stable turned to watch the small girl lead her horse into its stall. She was covered from head to toe in filthy, stained blood, but lines of her pale skin peeked through the tear tracks covering the lower half of her face. In addition, her swollen eyes made it clear that she'd been crying, but her hollow, darkened eyes betrayed no emotion, her lips pressed together tightly.

Levi gritted his teeth as she came near, eyes passing by him unseeingly.

She smelled of Titan and war, through and through. It was an unpleasant stench.

But wasn't that what he'd wanted? He wanted to rip the golden crown from her head, he wanted to break her dreams and fanciful thinking, he wanted to crush her. And he had succeeded, yet something about the sight of Wendy Pixis, battered and battleworn, didn't sit well with him, settling in his stomach like a hard lump.

He found himself thinking of the cheeky child who had grinned up at him and called him "sir" just to be impudent. He found himself trying to see the girl who had run for miles and miles until her skin ripened and peeled, and then woke up early the next morning to run some more. He found himself regretting, for a brief moment, that he'd broken the woman who couldn't properly make a cup of tea, the woman who danced in scrubbers and fought with a wet mop.

Levi turned away from the girl as she disappeared into the stall next to him with her horse.

It wasn't his business to comfort her. There were many more like her, and they were all his subordinates. He couldn't afford to coddle all of them like they were babies.

She would have to settle her issues herself.

As she left the stable, Levi couldn't help but notice that she was limping.

* * *

Wendy burned her uniform. It was beyond saving.

She ate her dinner mechanically after emerging from a cold shower, skin red from scrubbing. Every bit of muscle ached when she moved, but she didn't utter a word as she returned to the girls' sleeping area.

Save for one or two girls, the room was basically empty.

Silently, she stared at the flame in the fireplace, watching them flicker from orange to red and yellow, knees drawn up to her chest, chin buried in her arms.

She had personally delivered Emmy's corpse to the bonfire, and she had stayed to watch the body disintegrate. It was the most she could do, but she knew that there were not enough apologies in the world that could make her feel any better.

Wendy had wanted to stay at the newly-formed outpost with some of the veterans, but they had sent her back to headquarters. She returned, numb, terrified, and shoulders weighed down with guilt.

Petra was probably not much better.

_Petra._ Wendy's head shot up as she blinked the life back into her eyes, searching the room for her friend. She was nowhere to be found.

_Petra. She's hurt. Has she gone to see a medic? Where is she?_

Shooting up from her stance on the floor, Wendy rushed out of the room, furiously searching her mind in an attempt to recall if she'd seen the girl since returning.

Not in the dining hall, not in any of the empty rooms, most certainly not in the higher officers' rooms, not in the basement, nowhere. Wendy had even taken the liberty of checking the men's sleeping area, but to no avail.

She was about to rush outside when she was held back by a warm, strong hand, accompanied by a familiar voice that never failed to grate on her nerves. "Where do you think you're going, Pixis?"

Wendy was careful to keep her tone neutral. "Outside, sir."

"Look at me when you speak to me."

Fire flooding into her eyes, Wendy whipped her head around to stare into Levi's gaze evenly. "Sir, I'm afraid I need to attend to a very urgent call of nature." She shook her hand from his grip. "If you'll excuse me."

Stomping to the outhouse, Wendy slowed when she heard the sound of retching and sobbing nearby. As she followed the noise, she found Petra, slumped to the ground and shaking with tears.

She jerked reflexively when Wendy touched her shoulder. "Petra," Wendy sighed softly.

Petra shook her head, continuing to weep.

"Petra," Wendy tried again, reaching into her pocket for a spare handkerchief, "let's go back inside. It's cold out and you need to get your wounds treated."

Petra hiccuped. "I-I _killed_ her."

Wendy froze, her heart stilling for a beat.

"No." Her voice came out flatter than she'd intended. "You didn't."

"But I _did_!" the girl wailed, voice cracking. "If-if I were more competent, I would've been able to handle the Aberrant on my own. But y-you had to go save me and-"

"It was not your fault, Petra," Wendy cut her off sternly. "It was my decision, and my decision alone. Don't blame yourself for this."

"But _you are_!" Petra sniffled before grabbing Wendy's proffered handkerchief, honking her nose loudly. "You'll carry all the guilt and you'll blame yourself like you are now."

"Shut up!" Wendy lashed out sharply.

Petra halted, stunned into silence.

She exhaled deeply, calming herself before she continued, her voice softer. "Look, just go back inside. Don't blame yourself over..." She struggled to get the name out, but found that she couldn't. "...her."

After helping Petra to her feet and wiping her mouth clean of vomit, the two girls walked slowly back to the castle.

Corporal Levi was leaning on the castle door, looking up at the sky. His eyes never wavered from the full moon, but as Wendy shouldered her way past him, he lifted his hand and laid it gently on her head.

Wendy stiffened.

He removed his hand.

Silently, she stepped into the castle.

Silently, he disappeared into the forest.

* * *

A/N: To psychic reviewer **KayeStar** that predicted Emmy's death: I'M SORRY. I had created Emmy for the explicit purpose of killing her off, so...yeah. I couldn't find a way around it. But yeah, starting from now things are going to get depressing, as most SNK fics go. I have to warn you in advance, this fic will probably NOT have a whole lot of Wendy/Levi fluff. But we'll get there, I promise, so here's a little taste of it at the end to cheer you all up. :) Guess he just couldn't keep himself from comforting her, huh?

Thank you to everyone else who reviewed: all anons, **Iseria Dweller**, and **jigokumamono**, along with all you new followers! I'm pleasantly excited at the attention this story is getting.

Please do **review** and give me your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter; I had a lot of fun blasting the SNK soundtrack while writing this.


	4. Chapter 4

**MEGA LONG CHAPTER BECAUSE SCHOOL'S STARTING AGAIN!**

**I had a difficult time writing this chapter, since it's long and mostly for character development. Levi's a big asshole in this one, and I tried to portray him as quite callous because I think his language was a little too demure in the last few chapters? I don't know.**

IV. Punishment

Peeling Petra's shirt away from her skin, Wendy began applying a dark green paste to the large bruise on her shoulder. After she had finished, several other women approached her.

"Will you treat us, too? The medics have too much on their hands, and there's a long line."

Wendy nodded silently and soon, there was a small line looping around the room of injured girls. Tired as she was, Wendy had no desire to go to sleep, and after she had finished treating the girls, she walked to the medic bay to help.

The head medic, Jillian, looked surprised. "And you are?"

"Wendy Pixis." Wendy ran her hands over the hem of her nightshirt contemplatively. "I don't have any formal training but I was taught herbology and basic first aid."

"Oh." Jillian gave her a quick once-over and clearly decided she was not needed. "We've got it covered, thanks. Just go to sleep."

Seeing that there was nothing she could say to change his mind, Wendy slumped back into the sleeping area and found her sleeping bag. She crawled inside, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face.

Somewhere in the room, a girl began crying. Another joined her, and then another, until the room was filled with muffled sobs and sniffles.

Squeezing her lips together tightly, Wendy closed her eyes.

* * *

**A Few Days Later**

She could hear them.

The muffled panting, the sound of salivating, the thunderous footsteps, the gurgled moans. And then the screaming.

Oh, the screams. The voices intermingling together into one cacophonous clap until it formed one piercing, horrifyingly familiar shriek:

"_Help! Wendy! Help!"_

Wendy saw Emmy's face, wedged out of the Titan's humongous hand. Horrifically, it morphed into her father's, then her eldest brother, and then her third oldest brother, until his body, limp and lifeless, tumbled down the Titan's gaping gullet.

Crying herself awake, Wendy dove out of her sleeping bag, sweating and breathing hard. She pressed a shaky hand to her head, trying to calm herself and repress the nausea rising from her stomach.

Every night. Every night, she was plagued with nightmares, but this was a first. She'd never seen the deaths of her siblings or her father, never tried to imagine it, and yet it scared her the most.

The sun hadn't yet risen, but there was no way she could go back to sleep now.

Climbing out of her sleeping bag, Wendy tugged on her shoes and trotted outside, breathing in the cold air.

Slowly, she began running.

* * *

Teacup in hand, Levi watched as Wendy entered the dining hall, shirt soaked through and a sheen of sweat on her red face. She looked refreshed and more relaxed than the days before, offering a distant nod to the girls at a table before serving herself and taking a seat next to Petra. Perhaps the exhaustion was finally setting in.

He turned away as she began digging into her gruel with undisguised gusto, much more enthusiastic than dinner the night before, when she'd merely pecked at a piece of bread and left the table. She looked the same as always. There was no need to worry about her.

Except, he reminded himself firmly, he was _not_ worrying about her. He was just doing her brother a bit of a favor—for old time's sake.

Levi felt annoyed at the thought and set his teacup down with a clack. "Oi, Pixis." Immediately, Wendy's head swiveled around slowly as the entire dining hall quieted down. From across the table, Irwin sighed heavily.

_What's the matter with him?_ Levi thought crankily as Wendy approached, her expression a little too neutral for Levi's taste. "Yes, sir?" she asked mildly.

Levi paused for a split-second, wondering why he'd called her over in the first place. "…Pixis."

"Yes, sir."

_Aha._ A thought occurred to him. "The head medic tells me you treated several of her patients without prior authorization. Explain."

The monotonous, dull way in which Wendy replied grated on Levi's nerves. "The amount of injured exceeded the capacity of the medics, therefore I took it upon myself to help in whichever way I could." She folded her hands behind her back and looked straight past him.

_Irksome, annoying little girl._

"Stop with the hero attitude," Levi replied sharply. "Step back and let the pros handle it. Sprague is a good enough head that she can manage her team without an outsider's help."

Cheekily, Wendy tilted her chin up, and Levi felt his mouth twitch as the familiar, brandy-colored spark reappeared in her eyes for a split-second before vanishing just as quickly. "I may not have official certification of my worthiness, but I have successfully treated Squad Leader Hanji Zoe in front of your own eyes. Furthermore, every single person that I treated last night has reported significantly reduced pain and accelerated healing. I do not see how I have caused any harm."

Despite Irwin's warning look from over his meal, Levi decided to push her a little further. "So you're saying that you're better than a veteran head medic."

Wendy's response was swift and cleverly evasive, ticking Levi off even more. "I believe that _herbology_ is a very effective way to combat injury and disease and is a better alternative form of medicine in certain situations."

"And who do you think _you_ are to say that?" Levi asked, voice lowering to a deep hiss.

_Ah_, Levi breathed.

There it was: the fiery spark that ignited those Pixis amber eyes of hers, the quiet fury seeming to travel down the strands of her red, red hair in vibrations. Despite her shattering expression of rage, her voice could have frozen a burning bonfire. "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, does it not?"

Ancient literature. _And so the princess speaks in her highborn, princess language._ Feeling oddly appeased and yet irritated all the same, Levi straightened, tracing the rim of his teacup before lifting it to his lips slowly, only to discover that it was empty. He set it down.

"Look, _Princess_," he spat, "Just because you graduated as top dog doesn't mean you shit gold. This is the army, not the fucking throne room." Levi paused, thoroughly enjoying the way Wendy mashed her lips together in anger. "When we get back, you'll serve under Head Medic Jillian Sprague. I assumed that the Titans would have taught you a lesson, but your attitude is as shitty as ever. Maybe she can straighten you out."

Shocked still, Wendy Pixis stiffened, a look of incredulity flashing across her face. Then her skin seemed to gray before she receded into herself once again, much like a turtle. Her voice was low and emotionless as she spoke. "Apologies, Corporal, I was out of line." Stiffly, she walked out of the room, leaving her meal half-eaten.

Strangely enough, Levi felt no sadistic satisfaction as he watched her receding figure.

Irwin flashed a disapproving frown across the table to Levi, who deflected it easily with unperturbed scorn. "You are unusually harsh these days, Levi."

"The priss needs to be taken down a few pegs," Levi replied, unconcerned. "I called her uppity bullshit the moment I saw her."

"And _I_ thought I told you that she is not that sort of girl," the commander rebutted, a trace of annoyance evident in his voice. He quieted, however, and finished off the last of his oatmeal. "It is not easy to face the very creatures that killed most of your family. She is clearly distraught, and you ought to be more conscious of that fact. I am not saying that I approve of her attitude, but I daresay she is coping as best she can."

Calmly, Irwin continued his speech as he stood with his tray. "However, I think entering the medic division is a good step forward for Wendy. It's a good thing you swear so much, else I'd think that you were somehow _favoring_ her."

Grunting, Levi bit off the arguments threatening to spill off his tongue hastily. He had his stubborn pride, but he knew his place as well as anyone else. Levi's eyebrows creased as he poured himself another cup of tea.

Silence was probably the most he'd get from the obstinate corporal, so Irwin shrugged it off. "You know, if you two weren't at odds with each other, perhaps you'd realize your rather, ah, _explosive_ compatibility."

"Have another cup of coffee, Commander," Levi advised lightly. "You seem half-asleep."

"The caustic wit is identical, in fact." Irwin let a slip of a smile pass through his stonelike exterior as he left to bus his dishes.

Huffing as the commander departed, Levi put his chin in the palm of his hand thoughtfully, his mind replaying the anger the flashed across Pixis's face, and then the cold, empty exterior that she sank into afterward.

_Explosive compatibility, my ass._

Levi downed the rest of his tea in one gulp.

* * *

Wendy stumbled out of the castle as fast as she could, hightailing it out into the forest before she leaned over a tree trunk and emptied out the contents of her stomach.

_Shitty attitude? Really?_ That corporal, of all people, thought he'd lecture her on _shitty attitudes_?

Part of her was encased in hot, boiling _fury_—at that asshat Levi, who'd _sworn_ at her (she'd thought better of him!), at Jillian Sprague for being such a stiff, at everyone, really, but in the end, the quaking, dark fear she'd been feeling all morning overwhelmed all else.

She got too cocky because of her status as valedictorian, she could admit to that. Wendy had thought that just because she fought tooth and nail to climb to her position that everything would be fine. As top of her class, she'd be respected and loved, feared and exalted, certainly not vomiting on her knees like a quivering, useless wreck.

And, okay, maybe quoting Shakespeare wasn't the best move but it certainly didn't warrant mentioning of the _Titans._

The mere thought of those horrible, frightening monsters sent a shiver down her spine and a fresh wave of nausea to her head. The monsters that had broken Emmy's body like a toothpick. The monsters that had eaten the strongest men in her life, her father and brothers, gobbling them down whole like a Sunday pork roast.

Feeling nauseous again, Wendy heaved dizzily once more, gripping the base of the tree trunk so hard that pieces of bark embedded themselves into her skin.

Never had she missed her family so much.

Never had she felt so afraid and alone.

Shitty attitude, indeed, but as her grandfather always said, "Time goes on."

"Time goes on," Wendy repeated, wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve as she shakily swayed to her feet. _Pull yourself together._ "Time goes on."

_And so will the Titans._

Taking a deep breath, Wendy pulled herself together.

* * *

Petra dashed over when Wendy came near as they packed up their bags, ready to head back within the walls of the city. "Wendy. Everyone's been talking about it."

"About what?" Wendy asked with a sigh. It was only noon, yet she was already feeling emotionally and physically drained.

"About how the corporal yelled at you again! Except he was—"

"Uncouth, unbearably arrogant, _batshit crazy_?" Wendy finished wearily.

"Well…yeah." Petra nodded. "I mean, what was he _thinking_?" Petra hissed indignantly. "I mean, everyone knows Sprague's a total straightjacket—and the way he _talked_ to you! I thought he'd be more like…Commander Irwin! Where is the decorum? Hell, he wears a _cravat_." She sighed heavily. "All my dreams are crushed."

"That aside, I'm fucking pissed," Wendy grumbled, feeling her mouth loosening from emotional exhaustion. "Not only do I have to deal with the medic division, I also have to deal with Corporal Levi acting like a total ass _and_ me not being able to swear back." She hefted her sackroll onto her shoulder as the two walked towards the stables. "For someone obsessed with cleanliness, he sure doesn't have a very clean vocabulary. He acts like a hormonal, pregnant woman! I don't see how people respect him _at all_."

Obnoxiously, Auruo shoved past the two girls, who were blocking the entrance to the stables. "Corporal Levi is the best thing that has happened to the recon division since Commander Irwin. If you've never seen him in action, you obviously can't comprehend the majesty that is Corporal Levi."

"Whatever, fanboy," Wendy hollered at him.

He flashed them the bird in response.

Levi's voice traveled to them from across the courtyard. "Pixis, get your puny ass moving unless you want to walk back!"

"HE DID _NOT_ JUST—"

Petra put a hand on her arm, giving her a warning look. "Wendy. Don't."

Gritting her teeth as hard as she could, Wendy turned away, stomped over to Wind, and harnessed her as fast as she could.

As they set off, Levi didn't yell at her or call her names, but he did give her a scathing look of distaste. Wendy shook with effort as she struggled against the urge to ride up next to the captain and _pluck_ his_ puny little ass off the saddle and—_

_No. Stop. Calm down. Don't sink down to his level._

Wendy took a deep breath. "Petra, how long does it normally take to be promoted to Head Medic?"

Surprised, Petra glanced over at her friend worriedly. "Uh, usually five years."

"And it's a high ranking position, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"Good. I'll get there in three years."

"Uh…" Petra shut her gaping mouth self-consciously. "Can I ask why?"

"I'm going to climb to the top of the fucking medic division in three years," Wendy hissed at the bottom of her breath. "Mark my words, Petra, I'm going to show him he can't just talk to me like that. And I'll swear at him. _Every. Single. Day._"

Petra glanced at Wendy and then at Levi, and shivered. "Good luck."

* * *

The Survey Corps rode back in triumph, heralded with cheers and hollers. Most of the city came out to greet them, waving old raggedy handkerchiefs and tossing a flower or two as the legion returned.

Wendy tried not to notice how some families were crying, having learned of the deaths of their sons or daughters. She tried to ignore the vacant looks of some of her fellow soldiers, concentrating on the sky above rather than the emptiness in their eyes and the slump in their shoulders.

None of them had returned the same—not even the veterans, who were just better at adapting.

Commander Irwin was as serious and stonefaced as ever. Hanji was grinning, cracking jokes, and musing out loud about her scientific hypotheses. Auruo was making puppy dog eyes at Corporal Levi, who was busy yelling at some other guy.

Wendy's eyes automatically sharpened into a glare at the sight of the diminutive captain, but she was quickly distracted by the sound of her nickname:

"_Dee! Wendy!_"

And there they were, her large, obnoxious family, standing several heads taller than most of the other civilians and taking up a couple yards' worth of space.

There were her seven uncles, five of her six aunts, eight of her cousins, her widowed sister-in-law, her brother Devon, and her two nephews, all standing together, shoulder-to-shoulder, waving excitedly as she passed by. Wendy noticed with a sour twinge that her mother was nowhere to be seen, but she quickly waved goodbye to Petra, who had already hopped into the arms of her father.

Wendy's family swarmed around her as she dismounted carefully, her nephews, Jamie and Curtis, attempting to climb up her legs. She could feel every muscle and limb relaxing at the sight of her family.

"We've got a feast readied for you at home," Aunt Allison shouted over the hubbub of the crowd. "The Commander is going to drop by for a bit, but the rest of them couldn't get out of work in time."

As per their prestigious reputation, most of the family were high-ranking officials, usually stationed within the inner circle of the capital near the king. Only a handful chose to enlist in the Garrison Division or the Scouting Corps, and most of them rarely returned alive.

Just as she was beginning to feel frightened again, Wendy felt a strong, muscled arm tighten across her shoulders, pulling her into the embrace of a tall, blonde-haired young man. She hugged him back gratefully. "Devon."

"Come on, sissy," Devon murmured gently, taking hold of Wind's reigns, "let's go home."

"Home," Wendy repeated softly, feeling more exhausted than anything else. "That sounds nice."

* * *

There was a special room in the Pixis estate that was reserved especially for the deceased. After expressing a desire to visit the room, Wendy was quickly left alone by her family.

They were a well-meaning bunch, but they tended to travel noisily in large numbers—and this time, she wanted to be alone.

Wendy hadn't been in the room in years, not since her third eldest brother passed away when she was twelve, and she felt the familiar lump clog her throat when she automatically recalled the day she and Devon placed Stuart Pixis's memento on the shelves with all the others.

The Pixis family was not a particularly religious clan, but they were sentimental and kept their dearest things close. The memento room, as the room was called, was a small place filled with shelves and shelves of the dearest things their loved ones had cherished.

There was Wendy's deceased grandmother's wedding ring, which lay on a satin pillow within a glass case. There was Wendy's father's watch, long cracked and broken. There was Wendy's eldest brother's scarf, which Wendy had clumsily knitted herself in a putrid green color. There was Stuart's favorite book, battered and beaten with use.

Wendy treaded slowly into the room to face the shelves. She touched her father's watch gently, as if it would break upon contact.

"Dad, Felix, Stu," she started slowly, "I'm back from my first mission." She let loose a shaky laugh. "I survived."

The next watery laugh caused her to dissolve into tears. "I miss you," she wailed as she buried her face into her hands, "I miss you, and I'm scared, and I don't want to go back, but I have to or I'll _never_ be able to show my face in front of the corporal again!"

"What's this about a corporal?" Devon stood in the room's entrance, arms folded and looking upon his little sister with a sad smile. Stiffening, she sniffled loudly and tried to look at anywhere but her older brother. Striding over to her, he gathered her into his arms and pressed her face into his shirt, patting her head soothingly as she hiccupped.

The gesture was unnervingly familiar, causing Wendy to remember that first awful night…when Corporal Levi touched the crown of her head exactly the same way.

_Don't think about him,_ Wendy told herself sternly, focusing more on her brother as she breathed in the smell of his worn shirt. _You'll just get needlessly angry again._ "You kind of smell like Daddy," she mumbled distractedly into his chest. He smelled of musk, sweat, and something warm, something that reminded her distinctly of home.

"Yeah? You remember what he smelled like?" Devon chuckled. "You were pretty young when he passed."

"Old enough to remember," Wendy whispered. "Old enough for it to affect me."

"I know." Devon smiled sadly down at her. "Talk to me, will you?"

They both knew what he was alluding to. Hesitantly, Wendy began speaking, her heart heavy and the words difficult to form on her tongue. But she couldn't hide anything from her brothers, especially not Devon. She could keep secrets from Petra, but not Devon. Family was a different matter altogether.

"I went into shock on the battlefield." Instinctively, Wendy shuddered as her mind recalled the memories of the terrifying Titans. "I just froze, and I couldn't move without thinking that—that _they_ were the reason behind everyone's deaths. Devon," she said, eyes wide and fearful, "they killed _Dad_."

Devon's face remained impassive. "They did. But you snapped out of it."

Wendy found herself wondering how he could stand not showing a smidge of hurt at the mention of their father. He loved him as much as she did, after all. How could he remain so…detached?

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I did."

Settling himself on the floor, his long legs stretching out before him, Devon looked at Wendy carefully, sensing that this wasn't the end of the story. "And then what happened?"

Heart stuttering in her chest, Wendy squeezed her eyes shut. "I had to make a choice." She inhaled deeply. "Between Petra or Emmy."

"Emmy?" Devon prodded gently.

"A new friend." The bile was beginning to rise in her mouth all over again, and Wendy pressed her hand to her mouth, muffling her next words. "And I left her to die."

Devon was quiet for a long while. When he did speak, his gravelly voice was soft and solemn. "But you saved Petra, didn't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"Wendy." With one word, he stopped the arguments flowing from Wendy's mouth. "The battlefield is a ruthless place. It's not a tale out of one of your storybooks. You win or you die, and you never win without death. There is never peace without sacrifice, and you have to come to terms with that."

"…I know." Wendy's fists tightened at her sides. "But I'm petrified nonetheless."

"You can't back out now, Dee," Devon reminded her. "We gave you loopholes, but you didn't take them when you had the chance."

"Obviously not," Wendy snapped, annoyed. "And I'm not such a coward that I'll give up, not after the corporal baited me like that."

"Levi?" Devon grinned suddenly. "What does _he_ have to do with anything?"

"_Corporal __Levi_!" She spat out his name in disgust, standing furiously and stomping over to look out the window. "He's a pigheaded monster! He calls me names and dresses me down in front of everyone, did you know that? And—and he's making me enlist in the medic division as _punishment_! The gall of the man!"

"That doesn't seem like much of a punishment to me," Devon mused thoughtfully. "You seem rather suited to that area of expertise, in fact."

"To think you're _defending_ him!" Wendy whirled around to glare daggers at her elder brother. "I really don't understand why you—and everyone else, really—think so highly of Mr. Bigshot Corporal."

Laughing, Devon strode over to his sister, mussing her hair roughly. "He's not as bad as you make him out to be, sis."

"He's a loudmouthed, rude bastard," Wendy deadpanned. "He told me that I don't shit gold and therefore shouldn't think so highly of myself. He _swore_ at me. Aren't government officials supposed to be proper?"

"It's the military, Wendy, not a book club. People swear all the time. Besides," he countered, "he's technically not lying."

"That's not the point!" Wendy protested, crossing her arms stubbornly.

Devon grinned widely, a rarity for the normally mildly expressive man. Wendy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Levi is a man true to his word, is all. Commander Irwin may have a problem with the way he acts, but, well, the end justifies the means, I guess." When Wendy continued to look confused, her brother elaborated. "He took care of you for me," Devon explained.

"_WHAT!_" Wendy cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "So _you're_ the reason behind all my needless suffering?" Covering her face with her hands, she made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a dying chicken. "I should've known. Dammit, I should've called it from the first moment he made me run laps—"

"Look," Devon interrupted hastily, "he may not like you very much, but he's especially harsh on you for a reason. You're obviously an emotional person, Dee, and the first Titan encounter is always harshest on your type."

"My _type_?" Wendy wheezed in disbelief. "I have a _type_?"

"At any rate," Devon continued decidedly, "you two may mutually hate each other, but you've returned home in a better state than I could've ever hoped for."

Wendy uncovered her face to throw her brother a skeptical look. "Pray tell. I _was_ just sobbing my heart out in front of all our predecessors just five minutes ago."

"You were," her brother allowed, "and everyone goes through that stage. I did, Felix did, Stu did, and I'm sure Dad did as well. But not everyone comes home as themselves. Yes, you're scared and yes, you're traumatized, but you've passed the worst of it. Look at yourself and tell me that you're not feeling a little better than before you cried."

Wendy realized with a pang that her brother was in fact correct. She felt a little lighter—still guilty and still frightened, but more determined. She was exhausted, but she would get stronger.

Mourning for Emmy wouldn't do anything for her. She needed to move on, somehow, some way.

_There are changes that need to be made_, Wendy thought to herself suddenly, ideas flashing like lightning through her head. _The medics need to have a system of communication so they can assist the injured quickly. There needs to be more mobility within the squad so there are less casualties, less accidents._

_Less incidents like Emmy._

_I won't let something like that happen again._

"See?" Devon nodded self-importantly, seeing the light return to Wendy's eyes. "He's given you something to hang onto. A shred of hope—"

"What?" Wendy snapped out of her stupor long enough to roll her eyes. "More like a ball of tightly-coiled hate."

"Nevertheless," her brother interjected smoothly, "he dug you out of your trench of misery and now you've got the next few years of your life cut out for you." Devon smiled. "And that's why I can't thank him enough."

"…You're exaggerating," Wendy replied defensively. "Captain Levi's not that smart. He just likes to bully me."

Devon chuckled in response. "Then you'd better show him up and give him a taste of the Pixis name, yeah, little sister?"

Wendy took a deep breath.

_I'm sorry, Emmy. I'll start doing better. I'm not going to back down, not against the corporal, not against the Titans. I'm not going to let anything like this happen again._

_I promise._

She smiled for the first time in what seemed like a long while. "You got it, big brother."

* * *

A/N: OK, so you can probably tell, but I really didn't like this chapter and I really am hesitant to upload it. There was just way too much stuff that I wanted to fit in and I don't think I wrote it very well, but...at this point I'm kind of sick with the entirety of it. I'M SORRY I'M SUCH AN IMPATIENT SUCKY WRITER I'M SORRY

Please PLEASE **PLEASE** review on this one because I would really like to hear your thoughts on this chapter, be it criticism, concern, or anything else. I'm kind of upset at myself for not being able to perform better but I really can't with this particular chapter. Sorry.

Additionally, in the next few chapters we're going to be heading into the Medic Arc, so less/no Levi and more friendship OCs. I'll try to keep it brief, but these two need some time away from each other before we can get the ball rolling.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. You guys are the best.

And really, I don't mind if you don't like this chapter because it personally kicked my ass, but **please be polite** if you inform me of it. :( (aw dangit i can see the flames now)

i'msotired. see you next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed, followed, favorited, or at least made it this far in an OC fic. I know they have a bit of a bad reputation on any fanfiction site, so THANK YOU for giving this one a chance. I was so happy about the amount of people who reviewed that I decided to release this chapter a day early! Woohoo! (If you haven't already noticed, I've made a habit of releasing the chapter on Fridays..) This chapter is dedicated to **jigokumamono** and **THC** for being awesome reviewers who helped me out with this chapter as I was in a bit of a fix. :)

**A small guideline to approaching this chapter**: each line break represents a **TIME SKIP unless stated otherwise**. The length of the time skip is up to your own discretion. Think of it as a collage of memories.

* * *

V. Initiation

Jillian Sprague and Wendy may have gotten off on the wrong foot since they first met, but strict as she was, Jillian was an honorable woman willing to forgive and forget, for which Wendy was thankful. It didn't mean that she didn't still begrudge Jillian for being a stiff, but at this point, she need to curry favors, not make new enemies.

After passing her training module with flying colors, Wendy was admitted into the medic squad as one of the ten new cadet medics.

"From this day forward, you are a part of the medical squadron," Jillian announced as she paced from one end of the initiates to the other, the rest of the medic troop watching with interest. "Remake yourself. Cast off your doubts and insecurities, and cast off your prejudices for one another. Do not let your past define you or anyone else." She looked pointedly at Wendy, who had since made a bit of a name for herself following her many public arguments with Corporal Levi. "You will need to work together and respect each other as more than a troop—as a family. Understood?"

At once, Wendy and the other initiates saluted. "Yes ma'am."

There was an almost malicious gleam in Jillian's blue eyes as she smiled, though it was more teeth than grin. "Call me Leader. Let's get started."

Fifteen minutes into the first training regime, Wendy realized with a sinking stomach that the medical team was no children's playground. As she performed CPR on a sack dummy while reciting standard battlefield diagnostic procedure, she began to feel unsure of her place in the division. Her momentary lapse in confidence caused her mind to diverge elsewhere, and Wendy's voice caught in between the eighth and ninth step. Her heart shot up into her throat as Jillian's head whipped around towards her, watching her carefully.

A small voice to her right prompted, "Take caution…"

The two words triggered the rest of the rule to follow. "Take caution as copious amounts of fresh blood may attract additional interferences. Depending on the situation, retreat from the premises if necessary."

Sharply, Jillian Sprague grunted once in grudging approval before swiveling on her heel and walking towards another group of initiates, her blond ponytail swishing away.

Curiously, Wendy glanced at her helper to her right. With plain, mousy brown hair and a smudge on his pert nose, he was more boy than man, complete with awkward, gangly long arms and legs. Beads of sweat concentrated on his brow as he heaved at the sack dummy's chest.

"You're compressing about two centimeters too deep," Wendy whispered. "Better ease up before she notices."

Stiffening, the boy eased his strength and pressed down on the dummy lighter. "Thanks," he mouthed.

"A debt repaid." Wendy offered him a conciliatory smile.

"Pixis, Reynolds—since you're both so eager to chat, you two can have a long talk over lunch duty today," Jillian Sprague said loudly over the low pants and recitations of the initiates.

"Yes, Leader," the two chorused with a sigh.

_There's a phrase for this situation_, Wendy thought inwardly as she continued to name off rules fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen. _Déjà vu._

* * *

Reynolds (whose first name, Wendy later discovered, was Percy) worked silently beside the girl as they shuffled around the small kitchen to make stew for the entire medic squad. He tried to make conversation at some point, but gave up after Wendy continued to give him noncommittal, monosyllabic replies.

He was a nice boy, but there was no appeal to making new friendships or having a "second family", as Sprague mushily put it. Why purposefully have more chinks in your armor?

The two chopped vegetables and cut off meager hunks of meat, pouring the mix into a large pot with broth before spicing it, lighting the stove fire, and letting the stew simmer.

Soon enough, there was nothing left to do but stand around and wait for the stew to finish cooking, and slowly but surely, Reynolds found the inexplicable urge to start a conversation again.

"So, why did you decide to join this division?" Reynolds asked awkwardly, twiddling his thumbs.

Wendy shrugged. "Issues with the system that need to be fixed, new techniques that should be implemented."

"R-Really?" Reynolds brightened considerably at Wendy's lengthier-than-usual response. "So you want to become an officer then, right?"

Wendy leaned forward to stir the soup, watching the carrot chunks swirl around the dark stew. "Yeah. I want to get to the top of the squad...although I'm not sure I can do it now. The medic team is a lot more advanced than I'd imagined."

"You'll be able to do it," Reynolds proclaimed suddenly, straightening to his full height as he towered over the girl. "For sure. You'll become the next Leader. I can see it." Realizing what he'd just said, he turned a bright pink and stumbled over his words. "I-I-I mean, you're just so charismatic and smart not to mention you're a _Pixis_—"

"It's just a _name_, Reynolds," Wendy interrupted the boy gently. "Names aren't worth much in the long run. Besides, I can see you going places in a couple years, too."

The boy blushed again and ducked his head. Despite herself, Wendy couldn't help laughing.

* * *

**Months Later**

"…And this is anflorax, which is incredible when it comes to clotting blood. Apply it only externally though, or it might give you some health issues later on in life."

Wendy looked up at the group of medics surrounding her, eyes shining as they scribbled down notes. Suddenly self-conscious, she looked down at herself bashfully. "And, uh…that's everything that'll be useful in combat situations, I guess."

Reynolds, as always, was first to speak. "That was amazing! I never imagined plants could do so much!"

Penny, a copper-haired girl about fifteen years old, chimed in enthusiastically. "I don't know why they don't instruct more people in herbology! All we use are chemical drugs."

"It's sort of a lost art," Wendy explained, "not to mention the herbs are only available in certain areas. I'm hoping to push for a greenhouse of sorts so we can use natural methods more often. Of course, I'm not a real expert; there are limits to what I know."

"Too bad Leader's such a stiff," Yosef, a medic four years her senior, complained. "It actually sounds like a pretty decent idea." He smiled warmly at Wendy. "Despite what the rumors say, you're a pretty decent person yourself."

Feeling her ears warm up, Wendy ducked her head down. "…Thanks."

"Pixis's getting red," Frederick, another new recruit, jeered. "Lookit her ears turning pink!"

"Shut your whore mouth, Fred," Wendy snarled half-heartedly, slinging her shoe across at the raven-haired man.

"So you finally admit that I'm sexy?" Frederick leered, leaning close to Wendy's face. Shocked, Reynolds spluttered at the sidelines, face bright red.

Wendy gave the man a tight, sarcastic grin before decking him across the face, the rest of the group erupting into laughter.

He clutched his bruising cheek, howling, "If you ever become head medic, I'm seriously reporting you for abuse! I'm serious!"

* * *

Later that day, Wendy found herself at the head medic's office, attempting to explain to the woman exactly why she found it necessary to teach the other initiates (and some senior medics as well) basic herbology.

"I believe that it is a necessary addition to the medical curriculum," Wendy argued. "Out in the wilderness, there will not be manmade drugs, but there _will_ be bark, herbs, and medicinal plants. We need to start training people in this area."

"Your knowledge of herbology is rudimentary at best," Jillian replied sternly, "not to mention that you have no teaching license. Beneficial or not, you will cease with these _lessons_ immediately. They are against the _law._"

_Law, law, law_, Wendy thought irritably. _That's all she ever goes on about. Laws and rules._

"Leader, I mean no disrespect, but people are _dying_ out there," Wendy continued hotly, attempting to pin down her temper. She was older. She wouldn't start a ruckus like she used to with Corporal Levi. She was above that now. "Too many people have been lost because the medics don't have a mobile enough system to treat and defend the injured effectively. I'm not saying that herbology is the solution to this, but it's a start."

"You're quite outspoken for a cadet," Jillian mused threateningly. "Do I need to file a report?"

Suitably chastened, Wendy snapped her mouth shut.

The room was dead silent until Jillian sighed. "I will consider what you have to say—_after_ you sterilize all the bandages in the supply closets, in addition to kitchen duty for a month."

_Kitchen duty AGAIN? _Wendy couldn't help slumping in her seat as she muttered a grudging "Yes, Leader."

"Good." Jillian dismissed her with a flick of her hand. "Get going."

Wendy trudged out the door, defeated. Still_ have a long way to go._

* * *

Surprised, Wendy glanced up from her papers as Reynolds walked into the main workroom, yawning, his large feet clacking loudly on the hardwood floors. "Reynolds. Why are you still up?"

"I wanted to check up on you," he said, his concerned face illuminated by the small lantern he carried. It was the only source of light in the dark room, save for the candle lighting Wendy's work. "You should get to sleep. It's two in the morning."

Tiredly, Wendy rolled her eyes. "I still have to rehearse for my presentation tomorrow—er, today, I guess. The medic council is going to be _brutal_. Leader still hasn't fully forgiven me for pulling that stunt with the trainees." Bending over her stack of files once more, she shuffled through the papers and began reviewing her notes, murmuring the words quietly. "By employing the emergency smoke signal system, medical assistance can be much more mobile and cover a larger area than it was previously able to…"

"You've practiced enough," Reynolds asserted firmly, hauling Wendy up onto her feet. "I'm worried for you. Go to sleep."

Yawning until her jaw cracked, Wendy shook her head obstinately. "Can't. Leader put me on kitchen duty for the next three months, and I have to start prepping in a few hours anyway."

"I'll sub in for you," the boy insisted, gathering her files in one hand and pushing her out the door determinedly. "Leader's probably sick of your cooking anyway—she's put you on kitchen duty since we first initiated, after all."

"You sure?"

Reynolds smiled, fatigued but genuine. "Positive. We're friends, aren't we?"

Halting in her steps, Wendy glanced down at her feet, a lump in her throat. This was it. The defining moment.

"Yeah." She felt oddly emotional and cleared her throat hastily. "Thanks, Reynolds. I owe you one."

* * *

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and goddammit, if he heard one more _word_ about Wendy fucking Pixis, he was going to break some limbs. Levi downed a large mug of black coffee, straying from his usual cup of tea, the bitterness only serving to deepen his frown.

Pixis hadn't shown her face around the base for a solid year and a half, having presumably immersed herself in medical foofraws and whatnot. Levi was busy on his own with the new Special Ops squad himself. She was just starting to fade away from Levi's memory, the stain of her presence washing away like mud on a rainy day, but _no_.

All day. All _fucking_ day, she managed to annoy him even without actually being present.

"Wendy Pixis fixed my arm the other mission!" a crowing idiot proclaimed from one end of the room.

_Another_ starstruck shit-for-brains? They just seemed to _rave_ about her lately, weren't they? Barely repressing a groan, Levi buried his face in his hands. He could feel a migraine coming on, and it wasn't going to be pleasant in the least. It was one thing to be annoyed by the girl herself, but having to hear about her _historic, legendary achievements_ from other idiots was another thing entirely. Honestly, Levi heard enough about the girl from Petra, who constantly blabbed about Pixis like she was her favorite grandchild, and he had half a mind to boot the chatty girl off the team just because of it—but he was better than that.

_Still._ _You'd think it's a Pixis fanclub up in this joint._

"She's famous in the medic division—she's just a cadet, but she managed to convince the medic council to revamp the system," the man continued loudly. "And look, she gave me a whole parcel of ointment for my injuries!"

"Did you know she's went to the new trainees to personally teach them advanced first-aid? I heard she got into a lot of shit with Sprague when she first tried it, but no one can win against _Pixis_."

An irritated growl ripped from Levi's throat as he surged up from his seat. _"It's fucking noisy in here."_

The room instantly hushed as the corporal left the room, slamming the door loudly on his way out.

"Geez," Petra muttered as she gnawed on a crust of bread. "What's his problem?"

* * *

"Pixis."

Wendy looked up with a tearstreaked face at Jillian Sprague, who was leaning on the doorjamb of the kitchen, watching her as the pot on the stove overboiled. She wiped her eyes hurriedly, rushing to finish preparing the rest of the meal, embarrassed.

Five minutes passed as Wendy stirred the bubbling soup, redfaced, as Jillian looked on.

"Hung up about the previous mission?" Jillian asked knowingly.

Slowly, Wendy nodded, unwilling to make eye contact.

"Answer me when I ask you a question."

"Yes, Leader," Wendy replied automatically. She was used to being chastised at this point.

Jillian launched herself off the doorjamb lightly, walking closer to the young officer solemnly. "Deaths are inevitable, in this division especially. You need to let go. Move on."

"I know." Wendy swallowed hard, bracing herself as a sob choked its way up her throat and the familiar taste of bile seasoned the back of her tongue. Somehow, even after over a year of experience on the battlefield, the grief tasted just as sour. "But so many…so many innocents still died because of my incompetence. I'm an officer, I should be better. But I'm not good enough."

"There were only two casualties under your watch, and they were in critical condition," Jillian reminded her. "I doubt even I could have saved them."

"Two too many," Wendy argued stubbornly.

Solemnly, Jillian strode forward to place a large hand on her shoulder. "You aren't God, Wendy. No matter how bright you are, no matter how brave you are, no matter what kinds of medicines you use—you can't hope to save everyone. This world won't allow that."

The Head Medic let her words simmer in Wendy's mind as she sliced several loaves of bread slowly.

"Was I too naïve?" Wendy asked mournfully, setting the knife down on the counter. "I thought…I thought I'd be able to accept death by now."

"No one ever accepts death. They learn how to adapt to it. Still, a little naïveté is a good thing." She patted the young woman on the back. "Now wipe those tears away and get back on your feet."

She took a deep breath to quell the ache of sorrow in the pit of her stomach. "Yes, Leader."

Jillian cocked her head to the side in a rare nod of approval. "Good girl." She paused in the doorway before looking back with a small smile. "And I think it's about time for you to finally graduate from kitchen duty...and move on to bigger, better things."

* * *

Amidst the wreckage of buildings and fallen Titans, Penny desperately held a cloth to the red stream of blood trickling out from a wounded soldier's crumpled body. She was sobbing by the time Wendy rushed to the scene. The boy's left leg was bent at an awkward angle and blood poured out of his abdomen like a gushing waterfall.

"Wendy," she hiccupped, her face streaked with blood and sweat. She frantically pressed crushed anflorax into the wound. "I can't stop the blood. It's too much. He's going to—he's going to _die_ and it'll be all my—"

"Stay calm." Calmly, Wendy pushed the girl aside as she studied the wound gingerly. "Tell me what happened." Without lifting her head, she said, "Percy, his leg."

The once-gangly boy had grown into his oversized body over the years and was already propping the patient's leg into place with a splint, going through the motions with a practiced ease.

Penny struggled to keep from hyperventilating as she explained the situation with a wavering voice. "He was—he was injured by a Titan, and he was able to escape but—but there was another Titan, and there wasn't anyone else to fight so I—"

"So you had to choose him or yourself," Wendy finished knowingly. _How history repeats itself._

Sniffling, Penny nodded.

"Penny, you made the right decision. I can tell you that with full certainty." Reaching to her utility belt, Wendy dug around in one of her many pouches distractedly.

"He's going to die because of me, isn't he?" Penny whispered brokenly.

"No." Triumphantly, Wendy revealed a glass syringe from deep within her pouch, a dark brown liquid encased inside the instrument. Expertly, she injected it into his side before she began applying an assortment of medicines to the boy's abdomen. Wordlessly, Reynolds joined in, his hands applying pressure to the gaping wound as Wendy worked to sew up and bandage the skin together.

"He's going to _live_ because of you." Wendy paused in her ministrations to wipe her forehead with the back of her sleeve. "He's not going to die. I promise."

Sure enough, the bleeding slowed. Penny's eyes widened before she burst into tears once more, wrapping her arms around the older woman and sobbing into her shirt.

The scene was familiar—a mountain of Titan corpses, the smell of metallic blood in the air, the stain of red on every patch of skin showing, but for once, Wendy felt at peace.

* * *

**Three Years Later (Year 850)**

Alerted by a piercing scream, Levi swung towards the sound, looping above and between buildings until—sure enough, he found a moaning Titan with a young woman locked in its grip.

Immediately, Levi changed directions, whirling through the air to cleave the moon-shaped section of meat from the Titan's neck. The monster's fists loosened, and the woman fell through the air, blood trickling from her limbs as she plummeted to the ground.

Before Levi could scarcely react, a flash of red and green flew past him, catching onto the woman and breaking her fall as they skid into the hard cement.

He didn't recognize her until she sat up within the cloud of dust, her forehead bleeding to match the scarlet in her hair, the determination in her golden eyes evident even at his distance. A group of four soon joined her, lifting the broken woman away and onto a portable stretcher. They each had a red kerchief tied to their necks.

_Medics._

The woman with the bleeding forehead struggled to her feet painfully, waving away the concern of one of the men in the group. Her hair had darkened over the years and had grown past her shoulders. Her arms looked more muscular, and she'd grown out of her bony, girlish figure, filling out into slopes and curves that made her seem almost unrecognizable. She looked older, wearier, but somehow more alive than she'd ever been under his control.

The young woman's eyes sharpened as they spotted him on the adjacent building's roof. She cocked her head, giving Levi a brilliant, cocky, _arrogant_ smile.

"Corporal. Have you shrunk?"

* * *

A/N: Well? What did you think? I hope I did an okay job on this one.

**REVIEW TO GET THE NEXT CHAPTER - THE MORE REVIEWS, THE EARLIER I POST. WE GOT 15 REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 4. LET'S SHOOT FOR 20+ THIS CHAPTER!**

**HUGE THANKS TO**: Yumi Miharu (don't worry, the hate relationship is going to mellow out soon; I promise to slow down a bunch), An Echo in Time, daphii, THC, jigokumamono, Dot, Francisca, Kelly, SayuriKatsubi, Mizuki00, zella787, KinKitsune01, Akuma Shoujo23, nyancatguru, KayeStar.

One more thing...**how many people would be interested in a few smutty Levi/Wendy one-shots in the future?** Tell me in your reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Seriously blown away with the support here, guys. As promised, I'm uploading the chapter way early~ Sacrificed sleep to finish it and in turn had to cut the chapter short, but I kind of like the way it ends. Also, it seems that a lot of you really liked Percy (whom I refer to as Reynolds throughout the story for a few reasons, stated at the end of the chapter) so I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to break your hearts in the next couple of chapters. :)

**CAUTION: **this chapter may be a little boring for those who don't like lengthy character development stuff! Sorry, it's necessary, and don't worry, because we'll be getting to some more exciting events in the next handful of chapters!

VI. Unfeeling

Clutching her stomach, Wendy rolled over on the bed as she howled in uproarious laughter. Petra watched her friend, amused, on the adjacent bed in their small apartment near both the medical lodge and the recon barracks. Over the years, they had saved up money for a small space to escape from the war and reconnect between missions. Usually, Petra slept in the recon barracks and Wendy in the medical lodge, but today was a special day.

Today was the day when Wendy's diabolical plan for revenge was finally complete.

"And then—and then his face got all puckered up but he couldn't say anything because _obviously_ he would seem childish—and he went away to cut up some more Titans after sneering at me!" She choked on another laugh as it bubbled out of her gut. "It was _brilliant_!"

"I'm glad the three years of backbreaking work was worth that single moment," Petra replied dryly as she hugged a pillow to her chest.

Pounding a fist on the mattress, Wendy dug her face into her blanket to muffle her snickering. "It was _so_ worth it. You should've seen the look on his face, Petra—I think I can die happy."

"Yeah, about that," Petra muttered hesitantly. "There's actually been something that I've been meaning to tell you…"

Her cackles abruptly halting, Wendy flopped over on her side to give her undivided attention to her friend. Whatever this was, it was important enough for Petra to possibly hide it from her. "Yeah?"

"There's been something I've been hiding from you for a while," Petra admitted quietly. "For the past year...I've been working as a part of Squad Levi."

The room was silent for a heartbeat before Wendy leaped up from her perch on her bed. "But Petra, that's wonderful! I mean, you're basically putting yourself in the line of fire, but that's a huge promotion! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well..." Sheepishly, Petra glanced down at her blanket, playing with its fraying hem. "You were so hell-bent on getting revenge, you know? And we weren't really speaking as much because you were so busy managing the squad and I was off on missions all the time...so I didn't know how you'd react."

"I still don't like him. But..." Wendy flopped back down on her pillows. "I'm a little more levelheaded now. He's an ass, but he's a talented one and I recognize that. So I'll be the bigger man and stop with the trashtalk. I've had my fill of fun." She turned to give her friend a cheeky glance. "I sound so adult, don't I?"

"He is an ass," Petra giggled, "but he's an adorable one."

Pretending to retch, Wendy flashed her friend an incredulous look. "Adorable? Him? You're kidding. Are you crushing on him or something?"

"Wendy. He may be attractive but I see him more as the little boy next door versus husband material," Petra droned matter-of-factly.

"LITTLE BOY NEXT DOOR?" Wendy buried her face in her hands. "There are so many things wrong with that statement. Firstly, Levi is a little bitch and you know it. Second, you're littler than him."

"I thought you were going to stop with the trashtalk!" Petra complained, eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"That was before I found out you had favorable feelings toward the midget!" Wendy wailed back. "What on earth do you find remotely attractive about that bastard?"

"Name-calling!" Petra reminded obstinately.

"Whatever! Screw being the bigger man, what's so great about him that even YOU'RE won over?"

"You're impossible," Petra scowled, but she calmed after a distinctly dreamy look overtook the anger on her face. "He's always fair—"

"Uh, were you there the first day we met him?" Wendy scoffed.

"Shut up. Give him a break, it was his first year and he's mellowed out since then. Anyway, he's fair and he's so skilled, and he's always watching out for everyone in the squad. He doesn't pick favorites, and he doesn't discriminate against gender, either!" Petra sighed in an almost adoring manner. "He's such a freak but his quirks make him _him_, you know?"

"Uh, no, I don't know," Wendy spluttered, disbelieving.

Petra groaned. "Come on, if you just kept your shit together around him for five seconds you'd see what I mean."

"Oh, he's _brainwashed_ you!" Wendy let loose a strangled moan, burying her face into her pillow. "This can't be happening. My sweet Petra…to that foul-mouthed, untamed _beast_!"

"Oh, act like an adult for once," Petra pleaded. "We're going to be working closely together for the next couple of months, and I don't want see you fighting with him all the time. Be nice, okay?"

"Nice," Wendy repeated, chuckling maliciously. "Yes, I can be _nice_. I'm always _nice_."

Now it was Petra's turn to groan.

* * *

Sitting at the head of the meeting table, Irwin was suddenly overcome by the image of two children grappling, yelling, screaming, and pulling each other's hair. There was a lot less physical altercation involved when it came to Levi and Wendy, but the verbal insults and infuriated glares thrown across the table were no less intense.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as Hanji took furious notes on her notepad.

"Upon contact with WP, L reacts with the mentality of a five-year-old," Hanji muttered to herself as her pen moved fluidly across the paper. "Hmm…very interesting. Very interesting, indeed."

Desperately, Irwin glanced to Mike for help as the two continued trading insults, but the man simply gazed off into the distance as if everything were right with the world.

So it was up to him. "Children—er, _officers_," he amended when faced with equally debilitating glares from both sides of the table. "Let us return to the topic at hand. For the next two months, the Special Ops team will be assisting a small portion of the medical squad as they journey beyond the walls to gather rare and sparse medicinal plants."

Instantly, Hanji's hand shot up into the air. "May I accompany the expedition?"

"You may not," Irwin replied firmly. "However, I move to allow Squad Leader Hanji to accompany one of the supply carts that will be venturing out to the lodge every three to four weeks."

"I second the motion," Mike announced, in a calculated move that would not only appease the loudmouthed scientist but would probably shut her up for the rest of the meeting.

"It passes." Irwin made a small note on one of his papers. "Head Medic Pixis, anything to add?"

Her face clearing, Wendy cleared her throat and composed herself, but not before shooting another nasty look at the corporal sitting opposite from her. "For the next three days before the expedition departs, I would like my appointed subordinates to instruct the Special Ops members on some basic herbology that would complement their duties assisting my squad."

"Why?" Levi asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Trying to brainwash my troops as well?"

_Here we go again_, Irwin sighed.

"No," Wendy shot back, bristling, "I'm trying to _educate_ them. If they're going to be working with my best team and for that record, _me_, they are going to have to understand what they're doing."

"My team is better than yours will ever be. They don't need you or your people to teach them."

"Yeah?" Leaning back in her chair, Wendy folded her arms confidently. "So they can tell the difference between a mandrake and a tressant root?" She sneered in disdain. "Those two are the hardest plants to differentiate in all of herbology, yet the difference can mean life or death for an ailing patient."

The sharp creases in between Levi's eyebrows were mirrored across the table. Feeling quite fatigued, Irwin waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Wendy, Levi—back down." Irwin harrumphed once more. "Head Medic Pixis moves to organize a pre-expedition training session for Corporal Levi's Special Ops Squad."

Obstinately, Levi sat in silence, his eyes clearly forming a challenge—one that Wendy wouldn't back down from lightly. She tipped her nose up, her lips forming a faint scowl. Hanji glanced between the two eagerly, scribbling down some more notes.

"I second the motion," she called absentmindedly, scribbling away as she mumbled some more under her breath.

Levi grimaced as Wendy smirked, mouthing a cocky _"I win"_ before Irwin noticed.

"It passes. Next, we will tackle the next medical venture—Pixis, will you please lead the discussion?"

"Of course. In addition to gathering more herbs from outside of the wall, I wish to expand our medicinal supply by building a greenhouse to cultivate medicinal plants."

Not a second after she finished speaking, Levi opened his mouth to protest again. "A waste of funds. The medical squad is in no need of further expansion."

Aghast, Wendy made a noise of indignant disapproval. "A _waste_? You're kidding, right? The more we expand, the more resources we have to _save_ people."

"You've been expanding the medical squad for the last three _years_." Aggressively, Levi propped his elbows on the table to lean closer to the redhead, snarling. "I think we can put a halt to the medics' takeover and put our _limited_ funds in more practical areas."

"What could be more practical than, say, _saving people's lives_?" Wendy threw her hands up into the air, exasperated. If this was what Jillian Sprague had to deal with, she had an inkling of what inhibited the medical division's progress for so long.

Levi was quick on the uptake. "3DMG, uniforms, horses, carts, food."

"And science," Hanji added helpfully. "The funding for my science projects are always kind of lacking."

"Mike?" Irwin asked, turning toward the man to his right. "Any thoughts?"

Blinking to attention, the mustached man nodded towards Levi. "I'm with Levi on this one."

Disappointed, Wendy slumped in her seat, pointedly looking away from the corporal's smug expression. Irwin concealed a sigh once more as he moved on to the next topic. Thankfully, this one had nothing to do with either of the two who had been butting horns for the past hour. Perhaps now they could get some actual work done.

Then again, at the rate those two were going, they would undoubtedly find a way to argue about anything and everything.

He was really starting to rethink his previous opinion that the two would get along well—really, they fought shamelessly for two high-ranking officials.

_Explosive compatibility may have been a bit of an understatement._

* * *

"Leader!" Almost tripping over herself, Penny ran to meet the exhausted head medic as she entered the medic lodge, tossing her Survey Corps jacket to the forehead while mopping her sweaty forehead. As spring evaporated into summer, Wendy found herself wanting to shed her uniform for more breezy clothing options, especially since the medical lodge tended to become stuffy in the sweltering heat. Fanning herself, Wendy unbuttoned the first few buttons of her white shirt. She was already angry enough from the semi-successful officer meeting—the heat only made it worse.

"Damn, it's scorching in here," Fred complained, walking by clad in only the lower portion of his uniform. Distracted by the man's entrance, Penny flushed a deep red and did trip over herself, landing into the floor with a squeak.

"At least _you_ can take your shirt off," Wendy sighed as she tied her hair up gingerly.

Grinning wickedly, Fred leaned back on the couch languidly, showcasing his glistening abdominal muscles. "Leader, you are welcome to take your top off anytime."

Rolling her eyes, Wendy bent to help Penny to her feet, dusting the young girl off briskly. "Fred, you are incorrigible."

Winking unabashedly, Fred continued his tirade airily. "It's so hot I bet I could cook an egg on the pavement—" He halted, eyes widening. "That's _brilliant_. Jo!" Turning, he yelled up the stairs to the barracks. "We're gonna go outside and fry some eggs!"

Moments later, a small, dimpled boy with wildly unruly blond hair skidded down the stairs and into the main room, glasses hanging askew on his nose. Jo was barely fifteen and had taken a shining to Fred; the man in turn found the curious little boy to be a fascinating protégé. "Eggs, sir?" he asked, slightly confused but excited nonetheless.

"No tomfoolery for now, kids," Wendy interrupted firmly. "Fred, put a shirt on, you're scaring Penny. Percy—where's Percy?"

"Right here," Reynolds answered, picking up Wendy's fallen jacket on the way to the head medic. "Leader, you ought to take care of your clothes more."

Sighing, Wendy took the jacket from his hands with a half-exasperated glance. "All right, we're having a squad meeting here, stat. Penny, go sound the signal."

Nodding, the small girl scampered to the nearby bell, taking ahold of the long rope and swinging it wildly.

As the lodge sprang alive with the noise of stamping feet, Reynolds studied Wendy's face carefully before he murmured, "Did something bad happen at the meeting? You look upset."

"_Corporal Levi_ happened," Wendy muttered, irked. "Of course I would look upset." One look at her second-in-command's face told her that he was already worrying, and she patted his cheek affectionately. "You worry about yourself, mother hen."

Turning away decisively, she put her hands on her hips to behold her entire squadron, crowded into the sitting room as they circled around her patiently. There were only forty-three of them, Wendy liked the squad relatively compact; this way, she could pick out and name every single person in her troop. "I've called everyone here to let you know the results of the officer meeting. Thankfully, it went well."

A cheer rose up from the crowd.

Wendy smiled. They were a small but enthusiastic bunch. "The commander passed the three-day training plan for the expedition. I'm appointing Yosef Doner and Percy Reynolds as the main instructors along with the rest of the expedition team. While they're training Squad Levi, I want Richard Vanderbilt and Emily West to take over as head trainee instructors until graduation. As for the expedition itself, I'm allowed to bring three other medics along with me. I've decided on Frederick Bomber, Penny Locke, and Jo Cameron. Reynolds and Doner will become Leaders One and Two in my absence."

As expected, many people burst out into hushed murmurs of confusion. A surprised Jo glanced nervously to Reynolds, whose expression was carefully neutral. Fred and Penny glanced at each other, and then to Yosef in puzzlement, who nodded slightly. Nobody but he knew why the Pixis woman wasn't taking her right arm, Percy Reynolds, along on what could be a perilous expedition. After all, Yosef _was_ Wendy's main advisor.

"Quiet." Slowly, the room hushed. Wendy continued, brushing aside the incredulous looks some members of her team gave her. "We weren't able to get the funds for the greenhouse project, but we can rally support for the squad if we get more recruits from the 104th graduating class. Since we'll be starting the trainees' medical curriculum tomorrow, those who are going to be instructors should care to be extra vigilant."

Wendy concluded her speech decisively. "There are no missions scheduled beyond the wall besides the upcoming expedition for the next three months, so please take it easy and have a nice holiday. Meeting adjourned. Bomber, Locke, Cameron, Reynolds, please stay behind. Doner as well."

Once the room had cleared, save for a few eavesdroppers lingering in the hallway, Wendy gestured for her remaining team members to take a seat on the couches and armchairs, Fred with wariness, Penny and Jo with equal nervousness, Yosef with a knowing look, and Reynolds with no expression at all.

She sat down in the chair across from them and folded her hands on her lap. "I spoke with Yosef about this a week before, and I've come to the conclusion that it is in the squad's best interest to have Penny and Jo accompany me on the expedition." As she spoke, Wendy kept an eye on Reynolds's face, which remained passive. "They are the next best and brightest, and I want them to get as much outside experience as possible in the event that I am forced to relinquish my position—whether it be by death or an outlying circumstance."

Reynolds surged up from his seat, passion and anger hurtling into his voice. "_Why Fred?_"

Every person save for Wendy and Yosef jumped, startled from the normally placid man's sudden outburst. Fred put his hands up in defense. "Hey, Reynolds, I'm okay with switching if your knickers are in that much of a twist."

To everyone's surprise, Penny slapped Fred's arm loudly in irritation. "Grow up, Fred, this isn't the time."

"Good gravy." Eyes huge, Fred cupped the girl's chin with two hands and squeezed her cheeks fondly. "Penny Precious just scolded me. _Me_. Jo, this is going in the books."

Ignoring the hubbub going on behind them, Wendy put her hands on her hips. "You're my second-in-command, Percy. I can't leave our squad undefended."

"Fred and Yosef can do plenty on their own," Reynolds argued through gritted teeth. "But I will _not_ let you go out there without me."

Exasperated, Wendy ran a tired hand through her unraveling ponytail. In the three years that she had known him, she had never seen Reynolds riled up to this degree. Reynolds was a shy, bashful, pubescent boy who blossomed into a calm, empathetic, logical adult—certainly not this redfaced, steely-eyed, firebreathing dragon.

There was no need to aggravate anyone. This could be solved calmly. They were two adults capable of making logical decisions.

Wendy took a deep breath and tried to reason with the fuming man. "Percy, you've seen me kick ass on the battlefield. I can take care of myself, Fred is a capable soldier, Squad Levi is more than skilled. Anyway, you're better at administration duties than me. I _need_ you to hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Folding his arms, Reynolds spread his feet apart and leaned over Wendy, causing her to take a step back. "_Over my dead body._"

These words resonated within Wendy, taking her back to a good six or so years ago, when she too was just a girl who had simply wanted to see the world and save some lives on the way. The faces of her aunts and uncles, who had thought of her too weak to do anything—because it was a Pixis woman's duty to stay at home and, ironically enough, hold down the fort.

Just another chauvinistic male who thought he could coop her up at home.

God, Wendy knew she wasn't the best when it came to romance but she wasn't blind. The friendly concern and slight adoration that Reynolds had shown for her over the years had evidently grown into something more—an addiction, perhaps. An unhealthy infatuation, certainly.

Friendship was bad enough. Wendy could not risk any more relationships, nor could she risk any steps further than that. This world would not allow it.

She needed to put an end to this. Now.

Nostrils flaring, Wendy took two steps closer, eyes blazing with indignant fury. "I'm not your fucking princess, Reynolds, I'm your commander. I got here on my own two feet, and if you're underestimating me—"

"Nevertheless," Reynolds interposed rigidly, "_I cannot let you leave without me._"

They stared at each other menacingly before Wendy let loose a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. It was time for the ultimatum.

And anyway, two could play at the scary voice game.

"This is an order, Reynolds. You follow my rules or you leave."

The entire room stilled. Not even Fred cracked a joke as everyone froze, watching the two as they feuded silently at the center of the room.

Finally, after what seemed like a century, Reynolds's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yes, Leader."

"Good." _End of discussion._ Briskly, Wendy strode away from the scene, heading to her office to combat a new stack of paperwork.

The tension still clung heavily to the air, like fog suffocating the sky.

* * *

Breakfast, which was usually a rowdy business, was unnervingly quiet. Everyone took his or her porridge in relative silence. More than one set of eyes were drawn to the head medic and her second-in-command, who were sitting far apart from each other.

News traveled fast within the tight-knit medic community, so by the next morning, every person had heard of Wendy and Reynolds's public argument.

It had been two days since The Fight, and neither party deigned to speak to each other.

"By the elderberry, you _have_ to get them to make up with each other," Fred had complained on more than one occasion to Yosef, who had assumed the unofficial position of Elder and Peacemaker of All within the squad. "I'm not carting that party pooper along for three whole months."

Though Wendy stubbornly stooped over her bowl of hot cereal, Yosef caught Reynolds glancing frustratedly over at the head medic before clearing his dishes and leaving the dining hall. The senior medic glanced knowingly between the two before rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath to the stroppy head medic, "You have to properly make up with Reynolds. You'll be miserable if you don't."

"We've made up, it's fine," Wendy grumbled dismissively.

"You haven't spoken a word to each other in days."

Grunting, Wendy shoveled her way through her porridge.

"Three months is a long time for two friends to be apart."

Another noncommittal grunt, and then the clang of spoon hitting the bottom of the bowl.

"He loves you, you know." Yosef smiled winningly when Wendy stilled, wiping her mouth brusquely. "More than just simple idolization."

"I know." Heaving a long sigh, Wendy picked up her bowl sullenly. "But nothing good is going to come out of it, and he has to end this silly infatuation with me at some point."

Yosef stood with her, grasping the woman's arm as she passed. "Even at the cost of your friendship?"

There was a long pause before Wendy brushed by her advisor briskly. "Relationships don't matter once you're dead."

* * *

**Read for notices and IMPORTANT explanations!**

A/N: **One-shot series**: a lot of you seemed to be under the preconception that I was going to write the smutty fics NOW. False, I'm not going to even start writing anything until actual Wendy/Levi action starts happening, and/or once PG ends. Sorry, I wasn't clear enough last chapter. I kind of just wanted to get my feelers out and see if anyone was interested. (Turns out, most of you guys are.)

**Explanations/monologue**:

Here in this chapter we see a lot of character development, mainly focusing on the relationship between Wendy and Reynolds. You might have noticed that I continually refer to Percy by his surname, while Wendy switches back and forth between "Percy" and "Reynolds". You might also notice that _no one but Wendy calls (or rather, as you will see in later installments, is allowed to call) Reynolds by his first name_. When Wendy calls him "Reynolds", they have a strictly leader-subordinate relationship. But when she calls him Percy, it's an affectionate moniker. They're buddies and cohorts, and they've been through a lot of shit together, but more than that, Percy idolizes Wendy, and Wendy in turn uses Percy as a pillar of support. They have a coexisting relationship that not even Petra can duplicate with Wendy. He's her right arm for a reason.

Yet despite her growth into adulthood, Wendy still has some scars from her pre-army childhood that she can't erase. Not only has she lost most of the men in her circle of loved ones, she was faced with severe shaming and underestimation from said loved ones in her household just because she wanted to strike out and make a difference. She sees the pattern, and she sees it in Percy. Whether she loves him as a man or not doesn't matter; what matters is that she cares for him, and she doesn't want to take any risks so she's going to push him away while she can.

Um. Yeah. Can you tell I'm sort of obsessed with writing angsty relationship drama? Hahaha.

**THANKS TO**: person-over-9000, Guest, Chocolate Orchids, Guest, VictoriaLucia, liulishu, Imitation Paranoid Marionette, MikaCheshire, THC, zella787, Guest, Kyoichi Amaya, jigokumamono, Elisabeth O neill, Akuma Shoujo23, Phyari, KinKitsune01, KayeStar, iiGabbyLove, Kanako Arichi, haru, An Echo in Time.

**WE SURPASSED OUR GOAL, EVERYONE! BANZAI! Let's shoot for 30 this time!**

**MORE REVIEWS = MORE MOTIVATION FOR THE AUTHOR (ME) = FASTER UPDATES = HAPPY READERS!**

On another note, if you have any questions or concerns about PG at all, please don't hesitate to let me know in a review and I'll do my best to get back to you promptly.

I must say that I reserve the right to extend the duration of my uploading time for the sake of writing a quality chapter in case writer's block does strike. So far, so good though!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** GUYS. Seriously. I am 3000% done with this chapter. It has given me SO much trouble and I'm not very happy with it. So freaking done with this, I'm not gonna even edit. This has been sitting around, waiting to be finished for over a week and I am so done and ready to get on to the good stuff. Augh. Good news is the we hit our goal of 30 reviews for Ch 6, and that we'll probably be reaching the milestone of **100** REVIEWS sometime after this chapter gets uploaded! So for **a special celebration prize/contest**, stay tuned to the endnote. :)

* * *

VII. Departure

In the end, Wendy couldn't bring herself to ignore Reynolds without at least a goodbye. She took a deep breath to quell her nerves, and pushed open the heavy wooden door that led to one of the medic classrooms.

The sight of the entirety of Squad Levi, including the corporal himself, stooped over an assortment of herbs in an attempt to sort them out was so hilarious that Wendy couldn't help but snort in amusement. Percy's head went up at the sound, and his blue eyes met her hazel ones with a jolt.

Wendy felt the half-smile slip off her face as she broke eye contact, looking for some kind of reprieve that would relieve her of Percy's hard stare.

Well, there's no harm in poking fun at everyone's favorite corporal, she mused dryly as she entered the classroom and took a seat in front of Levi, whose eyebrows were drawn so close together that they almost touched.

She pointed at a spiked, clover-shaped leaf. "What's that?"

There was a muffled groan from the area where Petra was sitting. No doubt the woman was aware of Wendy's intentions.

Levi lifted his head to sneer at the medic. "Andara." Two can play at this game, he seemed to say.

"And its properties?"

"Fever and pain reducer," the corporal answered promptly.

"So you can study," Wendy surmised slowly, feeling oddly annoyed that Levi seemed so confident in his mastery. "I had thought you were more brawn than brains...though even that is a bit lacking." She trailed her eyes over his obviously small stature, smirking.

The ice that crept into Levi's voice told her that she was treading a very thin line. He shrugged. "I don't understand why you're so proud of yourself; it's mere memorization."

Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy saw both Yosef and Reynolds stiffen. _We'll see about that._ The head medic tapped her chin confidently, pretending to muse over the situation. "Which three herbs in this selection of twenty can combine to make a numbing potion, and which two can combine to make its antidote?"

The corporal ground his jaw, unwilling to give up, but the question was obviously too advanced for him. "I don't believe that was in the curriculum," he allowed finally.

"Exactly." Wendy leaned closer to Levi to whisper tauntingly in his ear. "Baby steps, corporal. Baby steps."

Scoffing, Levi drew back to pinch one of Wendy's cheeks firmly, leaving a red mark when the medic shook his grip off. "Pixis, you're a baby yourself."

Abruptly, Reynolds stood to his full height, the legs of his chair scraping harshly against the stone floor, shocking Petra and everyone around him. "Leader, you'll be late to your next meeting," he forced out with a steely voice.

"It got pushed back." Wendy shrugged. She wasn't quite willing to compromise yet.

Behind her, Yosef cleared his throat loudly. It was clear of a warning as ever.

Both looking suitably chastened, the two glanced down at their feet simultaneously. Wendy was the first to move, Reynolds being unusually sulky. "Ten minute break." Her voice softened. "Percy, let's talk."

Levi watched the two as they left the room, working his jaw slowly as he picked up the andara leaf and twirled it around between his fingers. The overly-tall man was following her around like a puppy. A sick, _lovesick_ puppy. It didn't sit well with him.

Bad move, bad move. Pixis was an idiot for letting things go so far. Relationships were a burden in the military, and practically all of the higher-ups were single or widowed. (The majority of the married officials were, ironically, part of the Pixis clan.)

"Bastard lost his pride as a man," he grumbled under his breath. "Making moon-eyes at Pixis has got him _whipped_."

Irritated, he crushed the andara leaf underneath his fingertips, reducing the dry herb to ash.

* * *

Making up with someone was difficult when neither party was willing to apologize.

Wendy shifted from foot to foot as she tried to break the stifling silence. _First talk. Then breach the main issue._ "So...how has the teaching been these past few days?"

Reynolds melted into his soldier guise, answering accordingly. "It's fine. Petra Ral and Gunter Shultz are the fastest learners, Erd Gin and Auruo Bossard not far behind."

"And the corporal?" Wendy prompted.

For some reason, Reynolds was loath to talk about the cranky man. Perhaps she'd rubbed off on him. "He is...far more advanced than I had originally presumed."

They had exhausted _that_ topic rather quickly, and Wendy once again felt herself at a loss. _Just jump the gun and go for it._ "Percy, you've always watched over me since we were initiates."

Instinctively, Reynolds straightened, sensing the conversation take a different turn. His heart pattered wildly, though he kept a straight face, his bobbing Adam's apple the only indicator of his nervousness.

Wendy attempted to keep her gaze locked with Reynolds. _Let him see that this is serious._ "You know more about me than you let on, and you're constantly worrying about me and attempting to protect me. I let you get far too close." She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. "I know you are fond of me in ways I cannot comprehend. But I must ask you to put an end to these feelings, or I will be forced to dismiss you from my squad."

"With all due respect, I cannot." Pulling his shoulders back, Reynolds tilted his chin up defiantly. "I cannot heed your orders, not this time."

"You must," Wendy insisted, feeling a wave of tears mixed with nausea roll up from her gut. "It is your choice to—to be fond of someone special, but I cannot allow it with me."

"Why not?" Reynolds challenged. "You just need to try it and you'll see."

"No!" Wendy blurted frantically, a hiccup in her previously calm speech. "I can't—I—" She swallowed her words just as hastily. "You need to move on. Use this time when we're apart wisely. This is for your own good."

"Leader," Reynolds protested, before being cut off by the opening of the classroom door. Startled, they both jumped back when the door edge almost hit Reynolds in the head.

Simultaneously, the two glanced down to the sight of Corporal Levi, scowl in full force as he stood in the entryway, sizing the two of them up. "It's been ten minutes. I won't have my team's precious time wasted by…" He paused for dramatic effect, clearly judgmental. "…a clichéd, washed-out soap opera."

Stepping away from the man as if she were stung, Wendy pressed her lips together in an attempt to stay rational—_for the love of God, Wendy Pixis, you will _not _assault this man_—and folded her hands behind her back for an additional precautionary measure. "I assure you, Corporal, that your time will be well spent."

She couldn't help glancing up to Reynolds pleadingly. "Think about what I've said, Reynolds. Take care of yourself."

The man inclined his head, though perhaps only for appearance's sake. She could only hope that he'd really take what she'd said into account, maybe even find a new girl to bestow his affections upon while she was away.

Wendy left the scene quickly, trying to figure out how fast she could walk without completely embarrassing herself.

* * *

In an unusual lapse of concentration, Wendy was unceremoniously sent away from the training grounds when she'd botched an introductory presentation to the 104th class of trainees. For the entire first hour, she had stumbled over her words and answered questions absentmindedly before her two main appointed instructors, Emily and Richard, shooed her from the premises.

Not wanting to tackle her ever-growing pile of paperwork at the office, Wendy resorted to twiddling her fingers as she strolled through the military grounds, replaying her talk with Reynolds in her head with agonizing scrutiny.

Maybe she should've kept quiet and led him on—no, too cruel. Even she couldn't use someone to her advantage like that, though losing a friend did hurt a lot more than it used to. Back when it was just her and Petra, Wendy didn't have to worry so much about relationships going sour.

It was easy to juggle a friendship when it only involved one person.

She did value Reynolds's friendship, and normally she'd choose him over anyone in a blink. But when it could potentially put the fate of her baby, her brainchild, her medical division in jeopardy? Debatable.

Wendy heaved a heavy sigh. She needed to let out some of her pent-up energy somewhere. Running would do no good this time; she'd just overthink things.

She needed to talk to someone.

But who? Reynolds, who was her usual confidante, was instantly removed from the equation. Petra was busy being educated, Penny was too young, Fred too old (he struck her more as the type to liken "relationships" to notches on his belt), Jo wouldn't understand, and Yosef understood far too well.

Passing by a closed-off encampment, Wendy stumbled when she heard a telltale voice scream with agony, "_NESSIE! NOOOOOOOO!_"

A smile spread across Wendy's face as she changed routes and headed into the large arena.

_Time to cash in an old check._

* * *

For someone who was just screaming hysterically and sobbing, Zoe Hanji changed moods quite quickly. Seeing Wendy at the heels of a young cadet, she smiled welcomingly and unstuck a bloody spear from a rather gory looking Titan's eye. The creature was nailed completely down to the ground, and Wendy found herself shivering despite herself.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to wait here," the young man said, leading Wendy to a small tent at the edge of the encampment. "Seeing as you're not equipped with gear, it would be too dangerous for you to be so close to them—not that I don't believe that you can't handle the Titans, of course, I don't mean to be rude, ma'am." The cadet flushed deeply and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

Wendy nodded, attempting to smile but feeling more pity for herself than for the cadet. "I know my limits. When will Squad Leader Hanji be finished with her, ah—" They glanced outside when the scientist uttered another horrific, screeching scream. "—experiments?"

"Uh…" The cadet squirmed uncomfortably. "No more than another thirty minutes, probably."

"It's fine." The head medic shrugged. "I can wait."

It was another hour before Hanji lifted the tent flap and joined Wendy, looking sweaty and tired yet satisfied with her results. Relieved, Wendy stood to meet her, antsy with anticipation. However, before she could speak, Hanji intercepted the thread of conversation with genial enthusiasm. "You called?" She asked, chipper as ever.

"Yeah, I actually wanted to ask you for some advice—uh?" Wendy stiffened when Hanji leapt forward, grasping the young woman's hands with zeal.

"About Titans? No—about Levi, perhaps?" Hanji's eyes glittered with genuine excitement. "If that's the case, I need to get my other lab notebook. This could be a breakthrough!"

"Are you _taking notes_ on me?" Wendy spluttered in disbelief. "I thought you only researched Titans!"

Shrugging shamelessly, Hanji unclasped her hands to grab a brown, nondescript notebook marked '12' before sitting down across from the woman. "Human psychology is one of my passions, and I hope to apply it to my work with Titans." She grinned, not to be swayed from the subject. "So, tell me what's been happening."

Wendy rolled her eyes. "First of all, this doesn't have to do with the corporal—I haven't the faintest idea why you'd think I'd ask you for advice on that scoundrel—I was merely hoping you could give me some advice from a scientist's perspective."

Deflating slightly, Hanji scribbled some notes in her book, waving at her to continue. As Wendy spoke, Hanji's brow furrowed, and she chewed on the tip of her pen absentmindedly. She took some more notes before setting her papers down to speak.

"Well, I don't think relationships in the workforce are a completely _bad_ thing. They're risky and should be avoided, but certain chemicals make it impossible to resist, not to mention it's not totally uncommon or unsuccessful. Your family, for example, is chock full of successful trials." Solemnly, Hanji concluded her thoughts with a decisive nod. "So my advice is: if you're strong enough to handle it, don't be afraid to pursue a relationship with this man."

Guiltily, Wendy played with the buttons of her shirtsleeve as she pondered the situation. "I don't…I'm not willing enough to put myself at risk."

There. The truth was out now.

It wasn't for Reynolds's good, it wasn't for him, it wasn't even for her medical division—it was for own benefit all along. She didn't want to get hurt, not again, not after seeing what became of her mother and the other widows of the Pixis family.

It was selfish self-preservation, and Wendy would shamelessly hurt Reynolds as much as it took to make him stop loving her.

Laughing softly, Wendy pressed a hand to her skull tiredly. "I'm a wreck, aren't I, Zoe?"

"Not a wreck." Hanji smiled encouragingly at the medic. "A human." Reaching forward, she patted Wendy's shoulder strongly before standing to leave. "You'll come to terms with it in time. And now, we both have to get back to work. Good luck on tomorrow's mission."

Wendy inhaled hard and she nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

* * *

As they rode towards the recaptured town the next day, Wendy found herself unusually left out of the group. Corporal Levi led the pack while Wendy held the central position of the formation, behind Erd and Gunther, who flanked their captain on both sides. Penny was speaking amicably with Petra, whom Fred was unsuccessfully attempting to flirt with, while Auruo was grilling Jo over his Titan-killing prowess. Gunther, whom Wendy had been quickly introduced to earlier in the morning, had traded an awkward smile with the medic, but other than that, they rode in relative silence while the rear of the formation chatted up a storm.

"You still haven't killed a Titan, kid?" Auruo was saying. "Tch, what an amateur. I was kicking Titan _ass_ by my second mission."

"Oh, lay off, Auruo," Petra replied snarkily, "according to Erd, you wet your pants on your first mission, so you're not that great."

"Like you can talk," Auruo snapped back, "Miss Pee-tra." He shrugged unapologetically when Petra threw him a disgusted look and slapped the man hard on the arm. "You brought it up first."

Finding a hole in the conversation, Wendy slipped in smoothly, slowing her horse down to talk to the girl behind her. "I don't remember you wetting your pants, Peetra."

"Great. Now even _Wendy's_ hung up on the subject," Petra groaned. "Can we just stop?"

"Soldiers." Levi's unaffected voice rang out clearly from the head of the troop. "Attention at three o'clock."

Conversation ceasing abruptly, Wendy's head swiveled forward as she squinted, catching sight of a herd of titans approaching them from the side. A group of…four? Five? No, there was a three-meter hiding behind a five-meter titan. _Six._ She tightened her grip on her reins and leaned a little closer to Wind, preparing to gallop.

"Your orders, captain?" Erd asked lowly.

Levi's commands were quick and calculated, with no explanation attached. "I'll take care of it. Gunther, you assist. Erd, head. Auruo, rear. Keep this pace. We'll regroup later."

Wendy couldn't help glancing behind her as Gunther and Levi immediately broke away from the group, the rest of the team filling their spots in a clean, swift formation. Without even speaking to each other, Gunther and Levi split up, galloping around the horde until suddenly—

Wendy blinked. _Where did Levi go?_

Suddenly, the two were airborne, and within moments, four of the six titans had fallen to the ground, lifeless. Her mind whirling, Wendy squinted to find the small, lithe figure zipping from titan to titan without even the aid of a horse—or for that matter, gas. Two more titans down, just like that.

Levi, that bastard.

This was the first time she'd seen him in action. Something hot and uncomfortable curled up in the cave of her belly, and she tightened her grip on her reins reflexively, turning in her saddle to face the front again.

As much as she hated to admit it, he was incredibly skilled. His movements were precise and calculated, not to mention his strange, whirling way of manipulating centrifugal force to his advantage; she wondered how much gas he saved in comparison to the average soldier.

Wendy realized with a start that she was feeling jealous of the corporal, instinctively comparing her own agility and fighting skills to the man and finding herself coming up very, very short. Would she never be able to best him? The idea was unpleasant in itself.

Stiffening, she bent her head low so that she didn't have to make any eye contact with the corporal as he rejoined the formation with a quietly triumphant air.

_Dammit._

After three years, had nothing changed in the end?

She found herself trying to choke down the tears that abruptly sprung to her eyes, along with the dissatisfying feeling of failure swirling in her gut.

* * *

Wendy didn't speak again until they arrived at the remains of a crumbling village at sunset, where the team was welcomed by a group of haggard Survey Corps soldiers. There was only one building left that still had most of its roof and didn't need too many repairs. It served as an outpost now, despite its rugged exterior.

Petra and Penny shared a worried look with each other as they watched the head medic disappear silently into one of the rooms. "I'll go talk to her," Petra volunteered as she followed the woman into the darkness.

The room was dark, unlit, and empty. A giant hole gaped at them from the right side, showing the inside of the adjacent bedroom. Silently, Wendy struck a match and lit her gaslamp, setting it on the floor before sitting on the floor herself.

Petra observed her worriedly. "Are you thinking about Emmy?"

"Emmy?" Wendy's head jerked up at the name. She shook her head, remembering their very first mission with a sort of nostalgic melancholy. "No."

"You wanna talk about it?" Petra sat crosslegged across from her friend. "It's been a while, hasn't it, since we've had a heart-to-heart."

Noncommittally, Wendy shrugged.

"I'm staying until you talk," Petra cautioned. "And I won't let you leave for dinner until you spit it out."

There was a long, stagnant pause before Wendy exhaled, the sigh causing her shoulders to slump in defeat. "I hadn't ever seen him fight." She chewed her lip, frustrated. "He's good. Really good."

_Ah,_ Petra thought, _it makes sense now._ She smiled winningly, nudging Wendy as she gloated. "I told you, Corporal Levi is called Humanity's Strongest for a reason."

"I'm so frustrated," Wendy grumbled. "I can't...I can't ever seem to get better than him. He's always one or two steps ahead, and it pisses me off…" She worked her jaw as she got worked up. "It pisses me off that I can't match up to him the way I am now."

"Then stop fucking moping about it."

Shocked, both Wendy and Petra lifted their heads to see Levi, illuminated by his own gaslamp, looking at them through the hole in the wall as he stepped into the threshold of the room next to theirs. "You want to beat me so badly?" he asked challengingly.

Speechless, Wendy couldn't help but nod.

"Then stop whining like a trainee brat and do something about it." He smirked. "Three years and a promotion later, you're still green as ever, Pixis."

Angrily, Wendy scrambled to her feet, feeling like a naughty toddler being scolded by her parent. "Then teach me!"

The corporal's eyes narrowed dangerously. "…What?"

* * *

**A/N**: Here's the dealio.

(1) For **status updates**, **bonuses**, **concept ideas**, **inspo**, and **word vomit**, follow me on tumblr at **ladykyojin**. If you have any questions about the story, ask me there and I'll answer you to the best of my ability. It's a lot easier than writing out a separate A/N and posting it here.

(2) **100 REVIEWS CONTEST**: CLOSED! Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 7!

(3) **THANK YOU ALWAYS to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed. You truly keep me going.** Special shout-outs to: Imitation Paranoid Marionette, Kyoichi Amaya, VictoriaLucia, KayeStar, Kaize, An Echo In Time, technicolor-tears, Kanako Arichi, liulishu, Nyannie, Nack3490, Elfneon, Blue Fire Lily, KinKitsune01, democraticDictator, THC, Wheeeee (anon), AwesomeJellyBean, ArisannaHime, cheliechu (anon), votremonde, nikess96, haipa-chan, person-over-9000, jigokumamono, MikaCheshire, Phyari, MeAFanfictionGirl, Xoraan, Guest (anon), K (anon)!

**REVIEWS = HAPPY AUTHOR = FASTER UPDATES = HAPPY READERS**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: **100 REVIEW CONTEST HAS ENDED! **Thank you all for participating; you guys truly blew me away with your responses! The winners of the contest are** jigokumamono, haipa-chan, and KinKitsune01**! Congratulations!** I will be PMing you shortly after this chapter goes up, so please keep your inbox open and ready!**

Apologies, this chapter is about 400 words shorter than usual :X. I've been sick all week so I basically typed most of it just now.

Also...I'm sorry in advance. Good luck.

* * *

VIII. Defeat

"…_What?"_

Petra glanced in between the two officers in disbelief. What was with Wendy? Just a moment ago she hated Corporal Levi's guts, and now she wanted him to _teach_ her? Corporal Levi never taught anybody. That was almost an unspoken rule.

Uneasily, she shifted her gaze to her leader, whose face was still stuck in an expression of confusion. _He won't actually teach her…will he?_ Despite being normally complacent, Petra found herself pouting. After all, Corporal Levi was part of _their_ squad. He wasn't supposed to have anything to do with Wendy.

…Yet since they were trainees, he had always paid more attention to her than anyone else. Granted, it wasn't very _nice_ attention, but it was attention all the same.

Beside her, Wendy's body shook with embarrassment, her face red as her hair.

"Are you shitting me?" Levi finally came to, his frozen expression crumbling into a derisive sneer. "_Teach_ you? If you want to be taught, go back to training camp. We're not here to hold hands and boost your self esteem, we're here to gather your dumb plants."

The red receded abruptly from Wendy's face as she flinched, humiliated and angry. "If you make one more comment about the medical division, I swear I'll make you regret it," she threatened lowly, a vicious glint in her hazel eyes.

Levi's tone lowered to match hers, his expression unaffected but his voice stark and irritated. "I think you should remember exactly who is the one needing help here."

Pressing her lips together, Wendy forced a strained smile onto her face. "Levi, as much as I enjoy your unparalleled snark, you really need to learn how to speak to ladies properly."

"Oh really?" Levi folded his arms challengingly. "I thought you didn't want me to treat you like a lady anymore."

Recoiling, Wendy found that she had nothing to say at that. Levi smirked knowingly. "I'll let you make your grand exit out of the goodness of my heart."

"Goodness?" Wendy spat, collecting her satchel from the floor and striding out of the room. "You are a wicked man. I'm going outside to scavenge, and no, _I don't need your help._"

Levi's eyes followed the redhead as she stomped out of the room. "God, that troublesome brat," he muttered under his breath. "She's titan food at this rate. Petra, keep an eye on her." He stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered out of the adjacent bedroom. "Auruo! We're cleaning up!" he called as he left.

Feeling nervous, Petra glanced at the corporal worriedly. Despite his scathing words, Levi was worried for her.

Despite his nonchalance, Levi's eyes were shining.

Tightening her fists, Petra headed out to find the head medic, a determined expression on her face.

_No more._

* * *

"Dammit. Dammit. Dammit." Heatedly, Wendy yanked out tufts of plants with her bare hands, each pluck accentuated with a curse.

The sun beating off her back didn't help matters much, especially since her head was practically giving off steam with her fury.

She stuffed the herbs into her satchel with unusual roughness, grinding her teeth as she finished scavenging at one tree and left to find the next patch of herbs. The small forest was lush and surprisingly intact, though a ways off from the actual village. Although Wendy was happy about her finds, her mind couldn't detach itself from thinking about—

"Wendy."

Yelping, Wendy tumbled from her crouching position as she whirled around, startled, only to find Petra standing behind her. She scowled and righted herself before going back to pluck some redwind out from its snug hiding place under a rock.

"I told you, I don't need help," Wendy grumbled.

Petra shrugged. "Corporal's orders."

"Well, fuck him, and fuck his orders too." Wendy's satchel was bulging now. It was almost time to leave, but she found herself wanting to stay out in the open air. Not stuck in the same room with him, at the very least. "I'm done with trying to get along with him. It's just not going to happen."

Petra was quiet for a long time. "I don't like the way you talk about him, Wendy."

"I don't like the way he talks to me, either, but he still does it and nobody ever yells at _him_," Wendy scoffed, placing the last of the redwind root into a paper envelope and slipping it into her bag. "And why are you defending him, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

"He's been better to me in the past year than you have since we were trainees!" Petra cried out suddenly, her eyes welling up with tears.

Wendy turned slowly, eyes wide with shock. "_Pardon?_" she asked, disbelieving.

"You're so conceited," Petra blubbered, voice shaking. "You've never once cared about me or asked how I feel. It's always about you, about you rising to the top of the class, about you playing hero. You don't care enough about me to ask how I've been doing because all _you_ care about is your perfect med division. It's always about _you_, never about Number Two Petra Ral."

Jaw unhinged, Wendy blinked several times before reaching out to her friend, distraught. "Oh, Petra, I didn't—I never—"

Sniffling loudly, Petra rubbed her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "Stop and let me freaking _talk_ for once, Wendy!"

Obediently (and half out of sheer shock), Wendy snapped her mouth shut.

Calmer, Petra continued in a quieter voice. "You were always the star of the troop. Everything about you screams for attention. And—and I finally thought that I'd be able to make my own name after you left for special training, instead of being _Wendy Pixis's best friend_. And the corporal saw me. He has always seen me, even with you there.

"So when I was accepted into Squad Levi, I was so happy. I was finally being recognized for myself." Petra hiccupped as she paused to catch her breath. "But then you came back, and you're better than ever. And now even the corporal can't stop looking at you."

"Petra…" Wendy's brow knitted together as she gazed at her friend guiltily. "You do like him, don't you?"

She didn't need to say anything for Wendy to know.

"Petra…I'm so sorry. I never knew."

The girl shrugged tiredly. "I never told you."

The two women were quiet for a long time, Wendy brooding about her actions and Petra wiping the remnants of her tears away.

_I'm so stupid. Why didn't I notice earlier?_

"Petra, I'm sorry," Wendy said finally. "I have been selfish, and it's my fault we've drifted apart." Her voice caught, and she coughed to clear her throat. "Is there anything I can do?"

_I don't want to stop being friends._ Wendy felt herself tearing up and bit the inside of her cheek hard. _Please._

Petra didn't look at her. "Just…stop antagonizing the corporal all the time."

"You don't have to worry about that, you know," Wendy replied quickly, "I really have no intention of interfering with you if that's what you're thinking."

"I know." Petra sighed. "But somehow, you're the one he seems to pay attention to the most." She laughed harshly, though it sounded defeated. "Even if all he does is yell at you."

They were silent for another few moments.

"Petra?" Wendy swallowed hard, willing the tears to stop. "Can we…can we still be friends?"

Petra turned away to watch the setting sun, her expression hidden from Wendy's sight. "I really don't know anymore."

* * *

Everyone noticed Wendy's downtrodden look and Petra's saddened yet relieved one when the two returned. Dinner was stiflingly quiet, with the two women situated on opposite ends of the table. Fred tried his best to liven up the mood with the rest of the soldiers, letting everyone have a sip from his hidden whisky bottle, while Jo and Penny laughed nervously with each other, sneaking puzzled glances at their leader as she ate her food silently.

Erd and Gunther weren't oblivious to the situation, but they acted normally, chatting easily as Levi observed the entire table quietly. Finally, Petra left the table early, Auruo close behind. Wendy let loose a low sigh, the tension diffusing from her shoulders.

"Leader, what's the matter?" Penny asked quietly, her comforting hand on Wendy's back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Wendy smiled weakly, patting the girl's head fondly. "Don't worry about it, Pen. Finish your dinner."

She found that she couldn't stomach her own meal anymore.

* * *

"So I take it you told her?" Auruo leaned on the doorjamb in an attempt to look cool.

Petra glanced up from unpacking her bedroll and nodded. "It's strange," she sighed, "I _am_ sad, but I feel very light now." She smiled. "I think this was a good step after all."

Auruo studied the girl's face quietly. "…Dammit, Petra, even after all these years of her treating you like this, you're _still_ going to forgive her?" He groaned, rubbing a rough hand through his curly hair. "You're too damn nice."

"I'm not going to forgive her _now_, but…" Petra's lower lip wobbled, and she choked out a sob before she could rein her tears in. "In the end…Wendy's still my best friend. I've been unfair to her too. And I just—I just—" Petra put her face in her hands, defeated.

"Aw, fuck." Auruo rubbed the back of his neck. "Petra, you know I can't handle it when you cry."

Petra nodded, snuffling some more. "I'b sorry."

"Shit, that didn't come out right…" Auruo let out a mangled groan before he stooped to pat Petra on the head roughly. "Look, just go on and cry if you want to."

Letting out a tired wail, Petra collapsed into Auruo's arms, her cries muffled in his clothes. "I don't want to stop being friends with her, but I need to prove a point to her, too!"

Resigned to his torture, Auruo sighed and leaned against the wall, holding Petra close to him and ignoring the fact that she was wiping her nose on his cravat. "I know."

"D-Do you think what I did was wrong?"

Auruo smiled and put his hand on her head. "I told you a long time ago, I'll always back you up."

Petra quieted down after a while. "Auruo…I'm scared."

"Why?"

She lifted her face from his buttondown, her eyes red and complexion blotchy. "Call it female intuition or a sixth sense, but I have a bad feeling that the corporal might…come to have feelings for her."

"Corporal Levi?" Auruo cackled. "Pshaw, our corporal has higher standards than _that_. Besides, haven't you seen the way he talks to her? He treats _horses_ better than he treats Pixis. Don't worry about it, Petra. He's not even considering marriage or anything like that anyway."

Petra seemed to wilt in his arms. "Yeah…that's true."

"Now what are you going to do about my cravat now?" Auruo complained. "It's filthy."

"Oh shut up," Petra replied unconcernedly. "Stop acting like you're the Corporal already."

_That's right_, Petra thought to herself, relieved. _The corporal doesn't really care about Wendy. I must be overthinking things._

* * *

Wendy knew it was dangerous to go out running beyond the wall by herself, but it was the only way she knew how to calm down. Her breath forming white fog as she exhaled, Wendy skirted a building corner and started to jog back towards the main building that they were staying in.

It was a good warm up jog, and by the time she returned, she could start practicing her training again. _To hell with the midget, I can practice very well on my own._

But what about Petra?

Sharp pain jolted Wendy's stomach as she paused to take a breather, the wound from yesterday still fresh and bleeding.

"Dammit, Pixis," she whispered brokenly to herself, "you should be better than this."

Petra would always her best friend in her mind. Nothing could change that, Wendy decided firmly.

_I'll just have to win her back somehow._ Wendy entered the outpost, passing through the dark kitchen before getting to the courtyard, which was just a dry plot of dirt. Perfect for sparring. _Then again, even a thousand apologies probably aren't good enough._

Tossing her jacket to the ground, Wendy began fighting an imaginary opponent, tucking her fists in and rolling through her attacks. High kick, right jab, spin kick, dodge, roundhouse punch.

Although there was no way she could waste gas outside of the walls just for practice's sake, she could at least amp up her agility. Maybe then it'd have an effect on her combat. Just as she thought that, however, her foot slipped and she found herself falling. Reflexively, Wendy stuck her hands out to brace herself, landing on the floor with an 'oomph'.

She winced; her hands were bleeding.

"Your main issue is that you're afraid of getting hurt."

Surprised, Wendy whirled away from the voice behind her, her form melting into another fighting stance as her eyes refocused. "Corporal."

Levi stood at the courtyard's entrance, arms folded and eyes trained on the fidgeting young woman. "I can't teach you the way I fight," he said matter-of-factly, "but I can tell you that you'll never be surpass yourself now if you're afraid of getting a few scrapes here and there."

Instinctively, Wendy opened her mouth to protest, but remembered Petra's words: _"Just…stop antagonizing the corporal all the time."_

Raising an eyebrow at Wendy's unusual reticence, Levi continued his lecture. "The only thing that's keeping you from inevitable death when you're fighting are two flimsy rappels. The fact that you're aware and _afraid_ of that is probably causing stress on your body, which makes it harder for you to be flexible when fighting." He thumbed his lower lip as he thought. "You gotta take care of that issue first."

_How does he know?_ Wendy forced herself to speak calmly. "How can you see all that?"

Levi shrugged. "The way you caught yourself when you fell. Someone who's not afraid of falling would have rolled with it."

Shoulders sinking, Wendy exhaled in defeat. "I hate it when you show me up like that."

"Not going to yell like a crazy bitch today?" Levi asked, pretending to be surprised.

She scoffed. "I made a promise that I plan to keep, despite you being the ongoing cause of my discomfort."

"Whatever." Levi rolled his shoulders and turned to leave. "Also, I don't want to sit through another meal like that again, so you better get off your ass and do what you need to do."

With an air of accomplishment, he left, leaving Wendy alone in the courtyard. She kicked at the dirt, frustrated. _How does he know about Petra and me?_

She thought of Petra's words again: _"And the corporal saw me. He's always seen me, even with you there."_

Huh.

Maybe Levi was more perceptive than she'd thought. And maybe, just maybe, this was his way of...apologizing?

Shaking her head, Wendy laughed to herself. What was she talking about? Humanity's strongest never apologized.

It occurred to her several days later that he'd ended up helping her in the end.

* * *

A/N: Am I going too fast? I kind of wanted to write the chapter mostly from Petra's perspective because 1) I like her a lot 2) I like her relationship with Wendy a lot 3) I SHIP PETRA/AURUO huehuehue 4) I want to give a different perspective of Wendy and Levi's relationship.

Anyway, I'm kind of worried about how this chapter will be received... I don't want Pixis's Granddaughter to be solely about Wendy and Levi. It's literally about Pixis's granddaughter and how her friends and family change her life. Petra is a huge influence on Wendy's personality, which I hope to be able to show later on in the story...but at any rate, I really wanted to kind of subtly show how Petra and Wendy's friendship isn't perfect, what Petra's been feeling and not saying, and how both characters are inherently selfish in their own way but still love each other despite everything that come between them. Platonic love, guys. It's great.

**tl;dr** Shove off Levi, it's Petra/Wendy time.

At any rate, I think I made Levi mouth off a little too much. He's kind of OOC to me here, so I might go back and change this chapter once the story ends haha. Ooh **also**, I want to make something clear: **Levi is not in love with Wendy at this point**. He doesn't hate her, though, and that's the starting point.

**Special thanks to**: **Kanako Arichi, CaptainTabatha, Kaize, KayeStar, Xoraan, EvilVampireDucky, Eurwen de Vrill, Aoi Kazuya, kohziqing, KinKitsune01, jigokumamono, sereneskydragonslayer, Nyannie, Imitation Paranoid Marionette, An Echo in Time, THC, iiGabbyLove, MikaCheshire, votremonde, NixxH, Guest, Phyari, Xylenia, haipa-chan, Shiny, lailaygirl, Kaappimorso, joyouslight, **and **MusicalDeleria**!

I know I'm late in replying to reviews, but I'll get started on them throughout the week. :) Much love and thanks for reading!

(PS: did I scare you with the first author's note?)


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome back! Not sure how I feel about this one...but it's been a while and it's a longer one, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

IX. Torch

Penny gulped down the rest of her cereal and stood quickly as Wendy appeared at the entrance of the kitchen. She was slick with sweat and Penny could smell her from ten feet away, yet the young girl felt relieved to see her leader's face serene again, the roses back in her freckled cheeks.

Leader wasn't Leader without her unabashed, smiley spunk, after all. Penny wondered if she'd made up with Miss Petra already—it had been about a month since they'd first had a falling out, after all. It was a shame to see them not speaking with each other since they'd been friends for all this time.

Wendy grinned curiously at Penny, her crooked tooth flashing below her upper lip. "Finished eating already?" Wendy asked as she propped her elbows up on the table, grabbing a bruised red apple from the fruit basket and hefting it into the air. She caught it deftly as she sat down across from the young girl, chomping into it with undisguised gusto, spit and chunks of apple flying left and right.

Leader was never really a very neat eater.

Penny relaxed, laughing softly at the sight of her elegant and put-together leader grinding an apple messily to bits. If only her frosty exterior didn't intimidate so many people. Really, most of the newcomers saw Wendy Pixis as a sort of enigma, someone who had the commander's blood in her, someone destined for greatness, someone who always looked _in control_ no matter what. None but the medics themselves were able to witness the sight of an unkempt, sloppy Wendy, talking shop while she ate, legs open like a man's. They didn't see busy, working-hard Wendy, who was often crabby and snappy at anyone who got on her nerves when she was trying to revise plans and fine-tune proposals. They didn't know about the times when Wendy would think of her family and putter around in her small herb garden for days on end, smelling like bitter plants for days. And even then, only a select few within the medics were able to see soft, empathetic Wendy, who'd accepted the weak, the cowards, and the castaways when no one else would.

The truth is, Penny walked with a bit of a limp, which became prominent after extensive battle and hindered much of her agility. She was a runt, cried easily, and couldn't do anything well, finally graduating near the bottom of her class. Her family had sent her to enlistment as the eldest of their too-large, too-poor family, hoping to have a connection to higher places, but in the end, it was all for naught. Hesitant to allow her into the Garrison, the instructor advised her to apply for the Survey Corps. _Better to go out with a bang, right?_ he had said, attempting to be cheerful. So Penny applied and resigned herself to an early, painful death of meaninglessness—until Wendy happened.

_I like the look in your eyes,_ she had said. _Come with me. We'll take you in._

There was no reason for Wendy to help her. Penny wasn't skilled in anything, and she knew next to nothing about healing; yet Wendy fought for her, plead for her, and studied with her until she finally passed the preliminary exams and began her medical training.

When Penny asked one day why she'd helped her in the first place, Wendy simply shrugged. _You didn't seem like you had anywhere to go, so I gave you a place to stay._

_But I'm a lost cause_, Penny had said tearfully.

_Those are the ones worth fighting for_, she had replied after a moment of thought. _Anyway, I always knew you had it in you._

Wendy reminded Penny of an archaic statue they read about at school sometimes: a magnificent sculpture enrobed in green, thousands of years ago before the titans struck and humanity was still blossoming with prosperity. It was of a woman holding a gleaming, golden torch to light the way for travelers; not much else was known of the figure except for the words carved on part of it: _Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free._

Except, Penny knew that Leader wasn't anyone special like that, not in the way Corporal Levi or Commander Irwin were idolized. She was smart and a good fighter, true, but she wasn't perfect. In fact, she yelled a little too much and was awkward when it came to apologizing for her wrongdoings, but she always came around in the end, even if it took a lot of willpower to do it. Wendy was strong because she wanted to prove a point, not because of her family or background.

But that was what Penny loved best about her. Normal, and yet...not.

Standing to wash her used dishes, Penny wrinkled her nose in jest as she rounded the table. "Leader, you _smell_."

Chortling, Wendy finished up the rest of her apple before tossing it haphazardly out of an open window. "Nothing you can do about it."

Penny opened her mouth to protest when a sharp retort silenced her words in her throat.

"_Which one of you threw this?"_ Corporal Levi's darkened face appeared at the window, apple core held gingerly in between two fingers, causing Penny to leap back in fright and Wendy to choke on the last bit of fruit in her throat.

"Um..." Wendy glanced to Penny pleadingly, mind obviously racing to make up an alibi.

It only took one look at the corporal's menacing glare for Penny to make her decision. She pointed at her leader wordlessly before walking away as fast as her limp could carry her.

"Penny! You TRAITOR!" Wendy wailed as Penny scuttled away quickly, laughing underneath her hand.

"Pixis, don't you dare move a damn _inch_ from there," the corporal shouted in the distance.

Feeling vaguely guilty, Penny sniggered once more. As much as she loved her leader, a part of her loved seeing her in distress, too, even more so at the corporal's hands.

Goodness gracious, Fred was finally starting to get to her.

* * *

"You _smell_ of _filth_," Levi pronounced gingerly from his stance in the hallway. "I ought to punish you for littering and defacing a superior officer, but you smell like shit and I'm not going to touch that."

"Okay, one, it wasn't on purpose, and two, the apple was biodegradable anyway," Wendy retorted stubbornly, slinging her arms around the back of her chair. "In case you don't know what that means, it means that it gets broken down naturally. It's good for the soil, so it's not littering."

"Trash is trash," Levi snapped. "I'm not about to make exceptions for you." He turned to one of the soldiers who had walked in, yawning. "You there."

Taking one look at the two officers in the kitchen, the soldier paled and saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Where's the trash can?" He dangled the apple core in the air threateningly.

"We use biodegradable materials as compost, sir!" the soldier replied stoutly.

Wendy snickered, exchanging an amused look with Levi's disturbed one. "Trust me, I know my stuff, Corporal," she called as she stood from the table, striding towards him confidently.

Levi backed away cautiously, the space between his brows wrinkling as his face pinched in an expression of disgust. "I ought to feed you to the titans," he snapped, stepping aside to let her pass. "But then again, they probably wouldn't even want to touch you in your state. Go cleanse yourself. That's an order."

"And what if I refuse?" Wendy challenged, lifting her nose up into the air.

"Then the mission is aborted, and I will take my team back into the walls by evening."

Wendy sobered, knowing that it wasn't an empty threat. She turned to the soldier. "Where do you all normally bathe?"

The soldier gulped. "Well…"

* * *

It was an incredibly humbling experience to be bathing in a river stark naked while a team of mostly-male soldiers lined both sides of the river, keeping watch with their backs turned. It was also incredibly scary to think that at any moment, a horde of titans could attack you while you had nothing but a towel on. She wished for a moment that the other girls in the troop joined her, but none of them wanted to risk a full-body bath and resorted to wiping themselves down with wet cloths.

And yet, it was so hot that Wendy didn't want to leave the cool river, not even if a titan was on her tail.

She kicked her legs lithely and dove underneath the water, breaking the river surface with a big splash as she inhaled in delight. "The temperature's lovely, girls," she called out teasingly, "you should join me!"

In undisguised longing, Penny moaned as she wrung out her rag and mopped her forehead. A few of the male soldiers murmured and shuffled around in surprise, a couple of them twisting slightly to take a peek at the woman in the river behind them. Unaffected and unamused, Levi twitched as a few droplets hit his back. "Stop goofing off, Squad Leader, or we're leaving you butt naked in the middle of titan territory."

"Got it, Corporal Clean," Wendy grumbled. "Penny, can you please get me my towel?"

At that point, Wendy was aware of more than a couple of eyes staring at her bare body as she wrapped the dingy towel around herself. There was probably no way to avoid flashing unwanted eyes, though, so Wendy resigned herself to giving the soldiers a bit of a show as she grabbed the white shirt and pants Penny handed to her.

Just as she began to open her towel to put her shirt on, she heard Levi cough. "Men, eyes to the front."

She hid a smile as she stuck the blouse over her head. Once she had finished dressing, she slid her satchel over her shoulder and announced, "I'm ready!"

Levi turned. "About time." His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he threw his cloak over Wendy's head the moment he turned around and saw her. "Wear that back to the outpost," he commanded sternly before mounting his horse and riding it resolutely to the head of the pack.

"Why?" Wendy complained loudly. "It's really hot, you know!"

"Leader," Penny whispered confidentially once the man was out of earshot. "You're not wearing underwear. And you're wearing white. And your hair's still really wet, so everything's kind of see-through."

"Oh." Reflexively, Wendy glanced down, and sure enough, the swells of her breasts were visible through the wet parts of the fabric. Quickly, she fastened the cloak tightly as she mounted Wind and started trotting along with the rest of the legion. Cheeks tinged red, she kept her eyes straight ahead, locked onto the diminutive corporal at the front of the troop.

The cloak smelled strangely comfortingly of soap and sunshine.

* * *

When they returned, Wendy had a grand old time setting out, drying, and preserving the herbs she and the rest of the medics had collected. Some of the roots she kept, others she threw away. Some plants needed to be dried and pressed in between book pages, and others mashed into a paste and kept in a jar.

First, they needed to be counted and sorted. In the month that they'd been at the outpost, they'd collected over a hundred sachets of assorted herbs. Wendy delegated this task to Squad Levi, who all sat in a circle on a piece of tarp, a large pile of herbs in the center of the mat.

"Just sort them the way we taught you," she instructed quickly, scanning the room before her eyes skimmed over her former friend.

Petra avoided Wendy's scrutiny and bent down to start sorting, turning after a moment to say something witty to the corporal. Forlornly, Wendy sighed; there had been no progress with attempting to make amends.

They didn't see each other for the most part, what with Wendy spending most of her time scavenging and training, and Petra attending to the corporal and patrols. But when the day slowed down, Wendy often tried to talk to the girl, who either was mysteriously nowhere to be found or, in some cases, blatantly ignored her. After a time, Wendy got so frustrated that she started to give up.

Pausing at the doorway, Wendy turned to look one last time at Petra before leaving with a frown. Squad Levi sorted the herbs in silence.

"Puppy dog," Levi muttered under his breath. Petra twitched.

"You're being petty, Petra," Erd remarked quietly. "She's been trying very hard to make up with you all this time. It's been weeks."

"I think it's gone on long enough," Gunther agreed. "You should start forgiving and forgetting."

Petra sighed, slumping over in a mixture of annoyance and resignation. "It seems you're all on _her_ side. You two have been getting pretty chummy with her lately too, haven't you?"

Erd and Gunther glanced at each other, shrugging. "She's surprisingly easy to talk to and she isn't as bad as you make her out to be," Erd commented, pausing in his work, "but I am first and foremost _your_ ally and I stand on your side. However, I've seen that she's repented far more than is necessary."

"The cold shoulder for one month is harsh," Gunther added resolutely. "At this rate, you're just playing the victim even though you're at fault too."

"Hey!" Irritated, Auruo stood up, towering over Gunther's hunched body.

"Auruo, sit down." At Levi's brusque command, Auruo plopped back onto his haunches, though not without some muffled grumbling.

"Petra." Levi let loose a long, suffering sigh. "It's not my place to tell you what to do outside of the military."

Petra breathed a sigh of relief.

"However." The corporal glanced at the girl warningly. "If this affects our work in any way, I'm expecting you to clean your shit up."

"…Yes sir." Leaning forward so her bangs hid her expression, Petra frowned contemplatively, her hands mechanically moving to sort each herb in their place.

…_It smells too much like her,_ she thought, resisting the urge to crumple an andara leaf between her fingertips.

* * *

Weeks passed before Petra spoke anything more than "Pass the spoon, please" to Wendy and even then, conversation was stilted and awkward. What made things worse was that the entire troop stationed at the outpost seemed determined to group them together whenever possible.

Not that Wendy was complaining, but it was quite disheartening to speak to an old friend and hear her reply in short, one-word phrases.

Petra and Wendy were in charge of laundry duty for the week, which was a hated job since the corporal oversaw the operations and was extremely particular about washing, drying, and folding the clothes properly. Even Petra, who was smitten over the small man, seemed put out at the prospect of having to gather in all of the clothes and inevitably be scolded by the officer. Or maybe she was just put out at having to do it with Wendy.

Sighing, Wendy plucked the multitude of white pants and shirts off from the clothesline hanging at the edge of the outpost, where they waved lazily in the breeze. "Hey, Petra…" she started, but bit down on her lip before she could say anything important. "…Never mind."

Petra was quiet for a long time.

_I'm tired of this._

She stopped in front of a shirt, halting as she reached up to pluck it off from its place. Her voice was small and guilty when she spoke. "I've been spiteful. I'm sorry."

"Look, P, I can understand where you're coming from, but it's also incredibly frustrating on my end."

"Yeah. I know."

Wendy tugged the shirt off its hook, revealing Petra's downtrodden face. She looked worn out. They were both worn out.

The two women stared at each other for a moment until Wendy broke the silence. "I'm sick and tired of dancing around the issue. I was stupid and was a workaholic and put my aspirations before my friendships, and I've reflected on it and I'll be better next time."

"I should've told you sooner instead of keeping it in all these years," Petra admitted. "And it was immature of me to ignore you for so long."

"And we're not going to let a _man_ get between us, right?" Wendy prodded hopefully.

Petra nodded affirmatively. "Obviously. Besides, I have much more experience than you in that area."

Wendy snorted, and they shared a small smile. "Truce?" Wendy stuck out her hand.

Petra studied the hand for a moment before reaching out to shake it. At the very last moment, Wendy retracted it and ran her fingers through her hair, wiggling her eyebrows comically. "Whoops," she sang playfully.

"You bitch!" Petra exclaimed indignantly. "I still haven't properly forgiven you yet, so you should be on your toes until then!"

_Yet_, Wendy sang in her head with relief. _Yet! __We'll be fine. I knew we would be._

They were back on the mend. Finally.

A sudden breeze whipped through the outpost, ripping several shirts and a pair of trousers off from the clothesline and lifting it up into the air. "I got it!" Wendy called, racing towards the runaway clothing.

"Wait!" Petra ran to catch up with the girl. "Wendy, it's too dangerous! They're heading past the outpost—we're unarmed—"

"Don't worry about it!" Wendy shouted, her eyes following the floating white scraps of cloth. "We're not too far—"

A low, resounding moan shook the trees. Stiffening, Wendy skidded to a stop, Petra close behind.

The lost laundry landed on the face of a 6-meter titan, who moaned again and ripped the cloths to shreds. Catching sight of the two girls, it began lumbering towards them.

Wendy made a few quick calculations in her head. They were about 500 meters from the titan and 100 meters away from the outpost. If the titan were running, there was no way both of them could escape in one piece.

No gear, no horses. Wendy had a sharp machete strapped to her belt, but it wouldn't do much good against a titan of that size. She whistled loudly, but could hear no sound of hooves pattering the ground. Wind wouldn't be coming, not soon enough, anyhow.

"We're doomed," Petra choked out brokenly.

Someone had to be the sacrifice if they wanted even a chance at living.

The titan was getting closer. It was speeding up.

400 meters.

There wasn't much time left.

She had to make a decision.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Wendy gulped and rolled up her sleeves, taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes.

"Petra, get backup. I'll distract it."

* * *

**A/N:** Again, sorry for the long wait, sweeties, school has been quite busy as of late and I sort of pieced this chapter together in chunks over time, which may be why it sounds disjointed at times. I know Petra and Wendy's resolution seems a little soon, but I do plan on writing Petra's side of things when I start my one-shots, so hopefully it'll be a little more acceptable then? (author's attempt at patching up sucky plot developments)

I also wanted to introduce Penny to you guys, and keep in mind that the first segment is _her_ view of Wendy! She sees her like an older sister and idolizes her just a little bit, so her words are slightly biased and show Wendy in a much more optimistic light. (fends off Mary Sue accusations) Penny's backstory is also something I want to get into later on when I start the sideseries...ugh dammit so much to write.

Um, and yeah, that last plot development was something I just thought up on the fly. I knew I wanted something like this to happen but I wasn't sure specifically what it would be or how to execute it. And then I thought of the laundry scenario and Sasha's solo fight and I was like YES THIS IS PERFECT. What do you guys think? I haven't written a battle scene in a while, so I'm a bit excited to see how this will unfold. Muahahahaha.

Let me know how I did this chapter, okay?

As always, big thank you to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **RebornRose1992, GiGitheHedgehog, mascarpomme, safranbrod, Sarah, IsraAl'Attia-Theron, DrHendo, TastyG, AmaranthineImbalance, Guest, Guest, ace1queen, Phantomhivekitty, EvilVampireDucky, . , cocoamilo, Lineria, nine-tails8, Tennu, Guest, lailaygirl, FearaNightmare, Guest, Goose, Guest, Sarafinja, votremonde, MrsGooglyBear, allmadinwonderland, Delac, Guest, earthtoandie, Guest, Guest, Elfneon, Guest, jigokumamono, Anonymo, Xylenia, liulishu, Imitation Paranoid Marionette, KayeStar, asangg, joyouslight, sereneskydragonslayer, haipa-chan, THC, ArisannaHime, Kanako Arichi, Guest!**

We had a handful of new reviewers and anons last chapter, so keep them coming! Thank you very much for reading, and I'll get started on replying to reviews as soon as I can tomorrow!


	10. Chapter 10

**Edits: Contest info updated.**

**l****ong speculation/talky/analysis post on this chapter up on my tumblr if you wanna check it out~ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! You can get to it by clicking the dropdown menu on my blog.**

**Long chapter ahead, and we've hit 200 reviews, guys! I'm giddy with delight - this means we have another REVIEW CONTEST! Refer to endnote for details :)**

* * *

X. Hand

The moment her mind was set, Wendy began waving her arms and hollering to get the titan's attention. Once the humongous creature's focus was diverted away from the young girl hightailing towards the outpost and effectively on the red-haired medic, Wendy broke off at full speed towards the forest, which lay left of the titan's path. The trees would give her the advantage of cover and could possibly yield some last minute weapons, in case the squad didn't make it in time.

Wendy didn't even want to consider the possibility of failure, so she cleared her mind of thoughts and tried not to hear her pattering heartbeat.

She skidded into the shadows of a tree and immediately began climbing. The forest was small and sparser than she would have liked, and the trees weren't tall enough to even skim past the top of the titan's head, but she shimmied up the tallest tree anyway.

Choosing a sturdy branch, she whipped out her machete and began sawing at the thick stick. When it broke off, she began feverishly slicing its ends, creating a sharp point. It was rudimentary, but it was a weapon.

The titan crashed into the forest, and Wendy looked up, heart pounding in her ears. Well, it'd have to do.

* * *

"Backup!" Petra shrieked, panting hard as she burst into the outpost, her entire body trembling. The squad, whose members were gathered around the kitchen table, glanced up with a mixture of worry and shock.

"Petra? What's wrong?" Auruo exclaimed, standing to steady the quivering woman.

"Six-meter titan," Petra wheezed, pallor gaunt and gaze unsteady. "Backup. In the forest." She took a deep, gasping breath. "_Wendy stayed behind to divert its attention away from us._"

"That _idiot_—" The corporal was the first to react, leaping up from his chair and grinding his feet into the ground, heading straight towards the stables. Penny followed soon after, leading the rest of the squad as they dashed out to save the red-haired medic.

Petra strapped on her gear shakily. _Please, Wendy…please be okay._

* * *

Wielding the machete in one hand and the makeshift spear in the other, Wendy braced herself as she let the gruesome creature come closer. In the distance, the sound of hooves against gravel could be heard.

_Five minutes._ She just had to hold out for five minutes, and then she'd be saved.

Wendy exhaled. _C'mon, Pixis, you can do this. It's just a six-meter. You can handle it._ Gripping the handles of the machete and the spear, she crouched in a jumping position, lying in wait as the titan veered towards her.

_Close-range. That's the only way I can possibly wound it._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of green-clad figures stampeding towards the forest, their blades glinting silver in the setting sun.

_Four minutes._

Her heartbeat drowned out the salivating moans the titan made as it leered at her, arm stretching out, hand reaching out to pluck her from her branch like a fruit.

Before she could stop herself, Wendy glanced down at the ground, so far below her feet, and felt the familiar cold brush of fear squeeze her heart. It took all her might not to crumble to her feet, crying.

_Fear is just a feeling. Ignore it._

At the last moment, Wendy squeezed her eyes shut and jumped, leaping from her crouch with her arms up at an angle, aiming for the titan's eyes. She landed perfectly, heart beating fast. The beast screamed a shrill, piercing shriek, its hands reaching up to grapple at the weapons poking out from its sockets.

_Am I safe?_

Though the hit connected, her sweaty hands slipped from her grip on the machete, and coupled with the titan's incoming hands, she found herself being thrown towards the ground.

Unable to shield herself, Wendy landed on her shoulder with a thump and a loud crack, letting out a disjointed gasp as she felt her muscles spasm with pain.

The sounds of horses were getting closer now and were becoming more comforting with every moment. Wendy tried to calm down, but her eyes were reeling and her vision was blurring.

_Run._

Her machete, warped and mangled, along with her spear, landed at her feet, broken in two. The titan roared and looked down at her, eyes healed.

_Run._

She struggled to get to her feet, left arm hanging useless at her side, bent at an awkward angle. Her ankle was burning with pain, but she forced herself to begin limping away, feeling adrenaline pouring through her veins.

_Run, dammit!_

Wendy found her voice being stuck in her throat as she felt a large, strong hand gripping around her center, squeezing hard enough to break bones, as her feet left the ground. She scrabbled to get free, but to no avail. The titan's grip was like steel.

Her breaths were shallow. Blood was seeping out from scratches over her body, and she knew subconsciously that if the titan's grip were any tighter, her internal organs would rupture in less than a second.

When she was lifted to the titan's eye level, Wendy found her voice again, a bloodcurdling, wordless scream ripping from her lips.

* * *

Every member of the squad stiffened when they heard the scream.

"Leader," Penny whimpered, a look of complete fear enveloping her large blue eyes.

Levi gripped his reins tighter and cursed strongly beneath his breath. He dug his heels into the horse's side, speeding up.

Gunther had a pained expression on his face, but he said it anyway. "Corporal, she'll be dead by the time we get there. I don't think there's much hope left."

"Tch." Levi grunted, leaning even closer to his horse as they neared the forest. "Pixis won't give up even at the end. She's made of strong stuff." He raised his voice so he could be heard by the entire troop. "Speed up! We're not turning back until we get her back, dead or alive."

* * *

She could feel the titan's saliva seeping through her pants as the titan lifted her body into its mouth, its teeth clamping around her stomach hard enough to make an indentation on her skin.

It kept its eyes on her, and as much as she wanted to close her eyes in fear, Wendy found herself unable to break eye contact with the titan.

_Is this how they all died? Is this how they all felt? Weak, fragile, and hopeless?_

She couldn't help choking out a broken laugh as tears coursed down her cheeks.

"This is the fate of the Pixises, then. Death by titan." She pressed her hand to her mouth, shaking as she felt the titan's mouth jerk as it prepared to crunch and swallow.

Wendy squeezed her eyes shut. _Just like Dad, Stu, Felix, and everyone else._

_And Emmy._

She wanted to give up so badly. She wanted to close her eyes and submit to her fate, and let herself be swallowed. She wanted to stop hurting.

_Emmy._

Didn't she make a promise to her, a long time ago? That she'd get stronger? That she'd never give up?

Wendy straightened and clenched her muscles, straining to pull herself up.

She faced the titan.

"I'm a Pixis," she whispered, lifting her working arm up shakily. "We don't do things by halves."

With that, she stuck her arm straight into the nose of the titan and pulled. The titan's mouth gaped open in pain, and it inhaled deeply, its entire body shuddering. Wendy felt herself being sucked into the titan's mouth, and tried to grab onto something, but there was nothing but tongue and stickiness.

The air inside the titan's mouth was stale and stifling. It was hot. So very hot.

_Did I do well enough, Emmy?_

The last thing she heard was someone screaming her name.

* * *

"_WENDY!_"

In an instant, Levi sprang from his horse and into the air, activating his gear as he swung towards the titan, eyes trained on the small figure sliding into the titan's gaping mouth. He was using far too much gas than needed, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make if it meant he could get to her faster.

Her limp body was almost out of sight.

The titan was moaning something unintelligible. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…"

_Faster, faster, faster_. He released some more gas, straining against the wind.

"CHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A slimy blob flew out of the titan's mouth, whizzing past Levi just fast enough for him to see a red ponytail. It spiraled through the air before one of the men leaped forward to catch the body, tumbling backwards.

It was Wendy, limp and still. Levi looked closer. Her chest moved infinitesimally. Alive. _God._

"The fuck?" Auruo muttered at his side.

"I think the titan just sneezed her out," Erd observed. "I don't believe I've ever seen that happen before. Hopefully she's still in one piece."

Dumbfounded, Levi snapped to attention. "Medics, tend to her." He whipped his head around to refocus on the titan, who was scratching at its nose. The corporal narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'll take care of this mongrel."

Something in his stomach twisted unpleasantly. The thought of Pixis dying didn't sit quite right with him, and for once, cutting the titan down didn't make him feel any better.

Levi gripped the handles of his blades irritably. He was getting too comfortable with the girl.

* * *

"Heavy concussion, lost a lot of blood. Heavy bruising. Most of her bones are broken and need to be set," Fred muttered as he hovered over the unconscious medic's body. "But we can save her. Penny, start making the elixir. Jo, help me set her leg."

Pressing her lips together, Penny went to work, removing a satchel of multicolored liquids from her belt and mixing them together. She siphoned them into a syringe and immediately injected them into Wendy's arm.

Fred was annoyed. "Jo, what are you doing just standing there? Get the splints and bandages."

"Y-Yes sir!" Jo got the materials from his large bag, quivering as he watched Fred work. He hesitated fearfully, unable to tear his eyes away from Wendy's bloody, unconscious face.

"Jo," Fred growled, "buck the fuck up. She'll die if we lose any more time."

Jo jumped into action. "Yes sir! Sorry sir!"

"Shut up and start working."

* * *

Pain.

Darkness.

Faces, leaning over the bed. Petra. Fred. Penny. Hange. What was she doing here? Jo. Levi. Levi?

The titan. Why was it here? She could see it and its huge, gaping mouth, wide open, tendrils of saliva dripping from its giant, sharp teeth. She could see its tongue, slithering out and getting closer, closer, closer, just hungering to devour her whole.

_I'm scared._

"_You're delirious. Go to sleep."_

_Levi?_

Levi's face disappeared, and then returned. He looked faintly worried, but mostly disgruntled. The normal expression on his face brought Wendy some semblance of comfort, and she felt herself reaching out to grasp his sleeve.

_Don't leave._

_It's back. Hurts. Scared._

_Please._

Something cool on her forehead, and then something warm on her hand. She tightened her fingers around it. It squeezed back.

_Titan. Gonna eat me._

"_I won't leave you, and I won't let the titans eat you. So shut up and go to sleep, you reckless woman."_

_Promise?_

"_I promise."_

She closed her eyes.

* * *

"Ow." Wendy opened her eyes only to shut them again, wincing as the sunlight hit her irises. "Too bright." Her voice was chalky and hoarse, and everything hurt, but all she could do was bask in an overwhelming wave of relief.

_I'm alive._

Fred walked in at that moment, nearly dropping his tray as he ran to her bedside. "Leader, you're awake!"

She coughed and winced, the shudder causing pain to course down her back in rivets. "How long was I out?"

_I'm alive._

"Two weeks. Your bones are still healing and you've got a lot of bruising going on, so try not to move." He set the tray by her bedside on a rickety table. "Your immune system is shit, too, so we had to deal with your fever along with your concussion and everything else." Fred smiled, giving the woman a straw to drink from. "Here, some yummy herbal medicine for you to drink."

She drank it eagerly, her throat parched and scratchy. The bitter taste wasn't pleasant, but it was familiar and comforting all the same.

_I'm alive._

The man leaned on the wall and gazed at her, grinning. "What's wrong with _you_?" Wendy asked tartly as she finished drinking.

He set the cup back onto the tray. "Just happy to see you alive and not on the brink of death for once."

"Were you scared?" Wendy taunted, feeling exhausted but happy.

_I'm alive._

"Terrified," Fred complained. "Please don't pull a stunt like that again. Even the corporal was worried sick."

"Levi?" Confused, Wendy blinked owlishly. "Why?"

"Ah." Fred's eyes widened as he clamped his mouth shut. "I, uh, wasn't supposed to say anything about that."

"Since when do you side with _him_?" Wendy demanded as Fred spluttered a stream of excuses. "Well, whatever. I'm too tired to argue right now."

Fred sighed sheepishly. "I'll go get Penny. Your buddy Petra will want to see you, too."

_Petra?_ Wendy thought blearily as sleep fogged her senses once more. _Oh yeah, we made up, didn't we…_

She was snoring by the time Penny bounded in.

* * *

"How is she?" The corporal slid the metal blade across a whetting stone, making the sword sing in rhythmic gestures.

Fred didn't need a name to know whom the corporal was asking about. He grinned mischievously—the man was paying an unusual amount of attention to his leader, and he had an inkling that perhaps the two weren't cut out to be enemies after all.

"Well, she just woke up again, and Penny's in there feeding her some gruel. Everything is healing fine, but the fever slowed the process way down."

"How long will the recovery take?"

"Full recovery or just enough to travel?"

Levi flashed Fred an annoyed look. "Both."

"At this rate, and I'm assuming that she won't get even sicker here, she'll probably be able to stand travel in another week or so—likely even sooner than that, 'cause our leader's made of bricks even though she's pea-sized." Fred sobered. "Long term, her bones won't fully heal for at least two more months, though, and then there'll be a half year of rehabilitation after that, minimum. There's a good chance she won't be able to recover 100%."

Levi continued sharpening his blades, concentrating on his work. "Have you told her that?"

Fred shook his head. "I don't have to."

The hand holding the sword paused for an infinitesimal moment before it started up again.

* * *

"This is embarrassing," Wendy complained as she lay among the sacks of herbs in one of the covered wagons. "I don't see why I can't ride along with you guys."

The wagon ran over a sharp rock, jolting Wendy's side. She hissed reflexively.

"Leader, if you're a doctor, you know what's best for you," Penny proclaimed, riding alongside the cart. "Now please stay put before you rip your wounds open again."

"Percy's going to blow a gasket when he sees me," the woman grumbled as she obliged, adjusting her position gingerly. Her shoulder was still sore, and every bone in her body ached. "You guys _will_ back me up, right?"

"You ran out to fight a titan unarmed in the middle of titan territory," Fred countered. "I think you deserve what's coming to you."

"Oh, come on, it was a tactical risk," Wendy defended herself.

A voice came from the front. "It was an idiot move, you reckless woman," Levi scowled. "Now stop making so much noise."

"_You reckless woman."_ Wendy wondered where she heard those words before, but decided to stay silent.

Fifteen minutes later, they were within the walls once more.

* * *

There was nothing scarier than Reynolds being deathly quiet and angry all at once. This wasn't the Reynolds who yelled loudly or scolded under his breath—this was the Reynolds that was seething with anger, steam practically seeping through his nostrils.

His eyes trailed over Wendy's figure, dissecting each and every injury with his sight as the woman squirmed in her seat.

He spoke once he had finished observing her state of injury, his voice cool and collected. "You see why I couldn't let you go alone?"

"I wasn't alone—" Wendy protested, but a sharp look from the angry man cut her off. She shrunk in her seat.

"Please take this as a lesson to remember the next time you try to do something harebrained and reckless," Reynolds finished with a disgruntled sigh. "You certainly aren't projecting a very good image to the recruits."

"Funny, that's what he said, too," Wendy grumbled in discontent.

"He?" Reynolds narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms as he scrutinized the young woman sitting across from him.

"Levi," Wendy replied wearily. "He's been giving me an earful ever since I woke up."

"Hm." Reynolds exhaled. "Your meeting with the officers is in fifteen minutes. Shall I escort you?"

"Nah, I think I can do fine on my own."

"_Shall I escort you?_" Reynolds repeated threateningly.

"…Sure, that'd be great, thanks." Sighing, Wendy maneuvered her crutches so she could stand shakily. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as she leaned on the wooden crutch, and her wince did not go unnoticed.

Reynolds gazed down at her with a resigned stare. "I'll give you two options: wheelchair or carried by me. No arguments."

Both were highly embarrassing solutions to her problem, and both were also solutions that Wendy was not willing to consider. "How about you just let me use my crutches?"

"No. Arguments."

Exasperated, Wendy rolled her eyes in defeat. "God, you're worse than Penny on a bad day."

"Shall I get the wheelchair, Leader?"

"You do that."

* * *

"So, who's the nanny?" Levi asked five minutes into the meeting.

Wendy lifted her head to glare at the corporal. "First of all, he's not my nanny, he's my note-taker, because as you've seen for the past month, I'm kind of unable to do write. Second, you've seen him before and you know it."

"Ah," Levi rubbed his chin, "Percival, was it?"

Reynolds frowned. "It's _Reynolds_…sir."

"Well, Percival," Levi continued breezily, "I need to borrow your idiot for the rest of the day." He ignored Hange, who had busted out her notebook once more and was scribbling hastily into it, her ponytail whipping around her face as she looked between Levi, Reynolds, and Wendy.

"I am not an idiot—"

Reynolds interrupted Wendy yet again, causing her to huff indignantly in her seat. "I'm afraid the captain is feeling very tired and will need to rest for the rest of the day. Perhaps you can…_borrow_ her at a later date."

"Hey, I'm not—"

"She looks plenty hyper to me," Levi countered, cutting Wendy off. "More so than usual."

The head medic turned a pulpy tomato color as the two men began bickering, their voices rising with each sentence, wholly ignoring the woman in between them. In a burst of adrenaline and fury, Wendy leaped up from her seat. "PIPE DOWN!" she yelled, infuriated, forgetting her wounds for a moment.

In the next second, her entire body spasmed in agony, and she slumped over the table, her good arm bracing herself as she rode out the waves of pain. Reynolds stood immediately, hovering over her worriedly.

"Leader. Are you feeling all right?" he murmured, a frightened look on his face.

"Obviously not," Levi mumbled from the other side.

Erwin interceded in the argument, firmly bringing the fight to its conclusion. "Might I remind you that this is an official meeting. Captain Pixis, you may leave the meeting if your injuries are ailing you. Levi was asked by your brother to bring you to him, but I will inform Captain Devon that you are still in recovery."

Regaining her bearings, Wendy gasped and sat back down in her chair shakily. "I'm fine. Please continue the meeting."

"Leader—" Reynolds began to protest.

She glanced at him sharply, her expression stiff and disapproving. Reynolds halted, the words dissipating in his throat. "Reynolds, you may leave."

"But—"

It was her turn to interrupt him now. "_Reynolds._"

When he slunk out of the room, disappointed, Wendy continued. "I apologize for my subordinate, Commander. He is merely concerned for my health. Please continue the meeting."

"Merely, huh," Levi muttered, peeved.

"I would appreciate it if excess noises were reduced to a minimum," Wendy announced pointedly.

Levi grunted. Mike sniffed the air. Erwin hid a smile. And Hange, observant as ever, smirked and scribbled into her notes.

* * *

"Baby, baby, baby," Devon moaned, wiping his teary eyes with a pristine handkerchief as he burst into Wendy's bedroom, "I heard _all_ about it. It must have been terrible!"

Groaning, Wendy attempted to lift her blanket over her head, unable to move from her bed without jostling at least one of her wounds. "Who let _him_ in?"

"Deedee!" Devon scolded, putting his hands on his hips indignantly. "I am your brother and I'm here to take care of you. Appreciate my presence."

"I live in a den of medics," Wendy mumbled, her voice muffled underneath the comforter. "I think I'm in pretty good hands."

"Nonsense!" Striding towards the bed, Devon straightened out Wendy's covers briskly. He then moved to fluff her pillows. "There's nothing better than a loving brother's touch, don't you think?"

"It's a loving _mother's_ touch, and no, I haven't felt that in a while," Wendy blurted before she could stop herself.

Both Pixis siblings sobered, the tension in the room heightening with the mention of Eileen. "…How has she been?" Wendy asked quietly, drawing the covers back up to her chin.

Devon glanced at his feet guiltily. "I haven't visited."

"Dev, she's our _mom_." The young woman sighed, exhausted. "Granted, she's been a pretty awful mother as of late, but having a near-death experience really puts things into perspective."

Her brother was quiet, his foot tapping restlessly on the wooden floorboards. Finally, he shrugged. "We can visit her once you're feeling up to it, if you want."

Nodding silently, Wendy sank deeper into her pillows with a sigh.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No." She smiled wistfully. "But thanks for dropping by. I needed to see your face."

Devon cracked a smile and ruffled her hair gently, careful not to prod the bump on her head that she sustained from the fall. "I needed to see your face too, sissy. Glad you're holding up all right. You let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Ah—actually…" Wendy started, then paused in a moment of thought. "…You won't let this get out to the rest of the family, right?"

Devon chuckled nervously. "Oh…about that…"

* * *

"What's going on?" Jo asked as he stood by to let the large, bustling group of visitors pass through the medical lodge's door. It was the fifth stream that day, and highly unusual for the lodge, which wasn't a common site for visitors.

Penny glanced up from her book, now used to the ruckus. "It's Leader's family," she answered matter-of-factly. "They heard that she was hurt and came to visit her."

"_All_ of them?" Jo gawped, trying to recall just how many people he'd seen over the past few hours. "But…there's been more than twenty people in the past five hours alone!"

"Apparently, that's not even half of them," Penny mumbled, flipping a page in her book absentmindedly.

"The Pixis clan is huge, after all," Fred commented as he passed by the hallway. "Mind you, I wouldn't be surprised if the Commander himself dropped by for a visit."

* * *

Wendy fell back against her pillows, exhausted. Though she loved each member of her family dearly, fifty in a single day was a bit much. She winced, shifting slightly in her bed to a more comfortable position. The noise had caused her head to pound, and the mere feeling sent waves of depression spiraling down into her stomach.

She didn't like being sick. She didn't like being bedridden and not being able to walk two steps without someone watching her. She couldn't take baths by herself or even go to the bathroom by herself; the experience was humiliating, and Wendy couldn't wait to start rehabilitation so she didn't feel like such a useless wreck.

The ice pack balanced on her forehead was beginning to slip off. Groaning, Wendy lifted a sore arm to put it back into position, hating the fact that her wrists ached with such a simple movement. A large, familiar hand intercepted the pack before it fell off completely, replacing the soggy, half-melted mess with a new one.

Wendy blinked, surprised. "...Levi?"

Grunting, Levi slammed a bottle of tan liquid down on her bedside table. "No shit." Huffing, he took a seat on the worn chair positioned next to her bed. "Your annoying brother begged me to take this to you."

"Begged? Devon?" Raising an eyebrow, Wendy craned her neck to look at the bottle closer. Its contents were murky and not at all appetizing, but they were familiar. Very familiar. "This is..."

"How nice," the corporal drawled, "to have a mother who makes this stuff for you, Princess Wendy."

_That can't be right_, Wendy thought, stunned. Mother hasn't been in the garden in years. _She hasn't been responsive since Stu died, not to mention that she would never do anything for_ me.

Straining her shoulder, Wendy ignored the pain that ripped up her side as she reached to clumsily uncap the bottle. Levi watched her until he felt too exasperated to continue observing. "Give me that," he snapped, removing the cap easily and handing her the glass container.

Wendy didn't speak, instead reaching for the bottle and shakily tipping some of the liquid into her mouth. Feeling a wave of nostalgia waft over her, she set the bottle down, quivering slightly. Before she could stop herself, the young medic closed her eyes and began to cry.

_It's been so long...since I've tasted Mom's medicine._

It was bitter, but it tasted like home. Home, when all of her brothers were alive, when her father was still there, when her mother was still happy and exuberant and smiling.

The thought made her sob even harder, each shudder wracking her limbs and causing spirulets of pain to shoot up her spine.

Beside her, Levi looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm leaving," he announced shortly, sticking his hands in his pockets and beginning his escape.

"No, wait." Wendy sniffed. "Don't leave." The words tasted familiar, like the bitterness lingering on her tongue, but she couldn't figure out where she'd heard the phrase before.

Levi halted mid-stride, silent. His fists, tightening at his sides, went unnoticed as Wendy wiped her eyes and struggled to sit up.

"You've been weirdly nice to me lately." She coughed, clearing her throat as she bored holes into the corporal's head. "And now this. Why is that?"

The corporal's words came after a long, stagnant pause. "I owe your brother a favor." He laughed harshly. "What, did you think I actually cared?"

"Just checking, you big bastard." Feeling oddly disappointed, Wendy scowled at Levi's back and burrowed underneath her quilted covers. "You probably wanted to see me eaten by that titan, didn't you?"

"Pixis." There was a dangerous glint in his eye as the corporal swiveled sideways to glare at the young woman. "_Never joke about that again_."

He stomped out of the room, slamming the door harshly behind him. Wendy swallowed nervously, confused. _Did I go too far?_

Outside the door, Levi exhaled, running a tired hand through his hair, gripping the roots with frustration.

_It's better to leave things as they are._

* * *

**A Few Weeks Before**

Levi was a light sleeper. His days in the underground made sure of that, and thanks to his easily awoken state, he rarely had dreams of the good or bad kind.

So it was a surprise to him when he dreamt of Pixis being eaten, her limbs torn apart like so many others he had seen in the past. He had awoken with a start, sweating as the image of her bloody, maimed parts slowly fading from his vision.

The dream appalled him—why his mind would suddenly decide to dream of _her_ after so many years was unbelievable in itself—but somehow, the thought of seeing her meet an untimely, gruesome end sickened him even more.

Perhaps he was becoming a little too used to her presence after all.

Huffing, Levi turned onto his side and shut his eyes, willing sleep to return. Instead, all he could hear was her agonized scream. All he could see was the way her limp body whipped through the air like a pliable doll, hitting the tree with a sickening crunch.

_Why her?_

Bile rising to his throat, Levi dove up to a crouching position, standing smoothly as he stepped over Erd, Gunther, and Auruo's sleeping bodies, careful not to step on any creaky floorboards. Stealthily, he made his way to the room at the end of the hallway—the only room equipped with a cot.

The door creaked open. At once, Levi cringed and glanced behind him; God forbid anyone see him gallivanting to Princess Pixis's room because of a dumb _nightmare_.

The coast behind him was clear. He stepped inside, the floorboards immediately creaking as he put weight on them. Levi cursed beneath his breath.

Fred, the main medic put in charge of his leader, snapped awake immediately, eyes alert and senses obviously tingling for some sort of attack. Seeing the corporal, he relaxed. "Sir?" He glanced sideways at the injured medic lying on the cot. She was still sleeping soundly, albeit restlessly. "What are you doing up so late?"

Levi stuck his hands in his pockets, unwilling to answer his question. He jerked his chin towards the young woman wrapped in bandages and casts. "How's she doing?"

"Leader?" Fred sighed. "Barely pulling through. She has a fever right now, but thankfully, the worst of it's over."

"Hrrrngh." Grunting, Levi turned to leave, but hesitated, glancing at Wendy's face. Her eyebrows were knotted tightly together, and her jaw was clenched tight, sweat beading down her face despite the icepack positioned on her forehead.

He didn't know exactly why he said his next few words, but he did and it was too late to take them back. "Go get some rest. I'll take over until the morning."

Fred stood uncertainly. "…Sir?"

"Shut up and go to sleep." Burying his hands in his pockets again, Levi shuffled over to the seat. "If anything happens, I'll wake you up."

Still doubtful, Fred yawned nonetheless, his jaw cracking with the effort. "Well…if you say so…"

He was halfway to the door when Levi coughed. "Also."

"Yes sir?"

"If you breathe a word of this to anyone…I will flay you."

"Yes sir." Fred smiled tiredly before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Levi spent the next few minutes observing Wendy's wounds. He was told that the most damage was done to her right shoulder, though her arm and left leg were also broken. Her ribs had been cracked as well, and she sustained a concussion that would render her disoriented for at least a week after she awoke.

According to the daily report, she _had_ awoken, once or twice, but she never spoke lucidly and didn't seem to remember the events that had transpired before.

Beside him, Wendy choked, catching his attention. Then, in a move that Levi could have never predicted, she began to whimper softly, her eyes rolling open to gaze up at him blearily. "Le…vi?" she mumbled, eyes pooling with tears.

She reached out towards him, hand shaking—from what? Exertion? Or was it fear? Wendy's lower lip wobbled, and she mumbled in a disconcertingly shaky voice, "Levi, I'm scared."

_Fuck, I never signed up for this._ "You're being delirious," he spat defensively, leaning away from the girl. "Go to sleep." Feeling an intense urge to bolt, Levi backed away towards the door; it hadn't even been five minutes since Fred left the room, but honestly, he was a grown man and had no time to deal with crying, hormonal women.

"Wait," she sobbed, eyes beginning to reel backwards. She fumbled blindly in the air, searching for his presence needily and drastically out of character. "Don't leave…"

It was almost terrifying to see Pixis reduced to such a vulnerable state. Levi couldn't help feeling a stab of pity for her fever-induced self, and slunk back to her beside reluctantly.

She was shaking violently now. "It's back…hurts…scared…"

So she was thinking about it, too. For once they agreed on something.

"Don't be stupid, you numbskull," Levi replied roughly, taking the towel on her forehead and dunking into the basin of cool water on her bedside table. He wrung it out before placing it back in its former resting place. While he hovered over her, she swung out and caught his hand in mid-air, holding it tightly. His voice caught. "—There are no titans here."

He tried pulling away. Her hand was hot—too hot. Was her fever rising?

She was, however, insistent, as most delirious patients were. "Titan. Gonna eat me."

_For the love of_— Frustrated, Levi gave up running away and plopped down in the chair next to her bed, still holding her hand and trying not to notice the death grip that was mangling his fingers. "I won't leave you, and I won't let the titans eat you," he griped, exasperated. "So go to sleep, you reckless woman."

Her eyes were already flickering shut, her voice barely a murmur. "Promise?"

Feeling like he was trying to coerce a child, the corporal rolled his eyes and sighed. "I promise."

Though she closed her eyes obediently, she failed to let go of his fingers.

The feeling of the warmth coursing through his fingertips and the unsettling way Pixis held his hand grew on him like an itchy scab. He wanted very badly at that moment to run, to hightail it far, far away from this irritating sensation and this equally infuriating woman, back into the safety of the military, where the only thing you had to worry about was _survive_.

More often than not, he felt raw and uncomfortable around Pixis, like a pulsing nerve that was waiting to explode. She was a dangerous figure. He couldn't risk it.

Levi stood to go, beginning to rip his hand out from Wendy's grip.

Almost reflexively, the image of her, bruised, bloodied, broken, and _dead dead dead_ flashed before his eyes again, plastering it across his memory like a scar. It kept him from leaving her alone by herself in her feverish stupor, though it didn't assuage Levi's growing unease any less.

Clenching his jaw, Levi flexed his fingers and tried to shut out everything but the sounds of Wendy's even breaths and the pounding of his heartbeat.

* * *

It was another three weeks before Wendy could use her crutches without pain, and then another ten days after that to convince Reynolds to leave her alone, because dammit, a woman needs her space once in a while.

It appeared that their time apart had not reduced Reynolds's ardor for his captain in the least; in fact, it seemed that her injuries had inadvertently strengthened his protective instincts.

Rubbing her temples, Wendy sighed in defeat. Relationships weren't her main agenda at the moment, anyway. What she needed to focus on was...

She pushed the heavy doors of the lecture hall open, hobbled in as elegantly as she could, and turned to face the galley of curious trainees. Her face softened at the sight of them. So young.

"Um, Leader?" Emily prodded quietly at her side.

Wendy snapped to attention, catching herself. She'd been quiet for too long. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Wendy Pixis. I hope you remember me from a couple months ago."

There was a murmur of recollection as the trainees glanced at each other nervously.

She smiled coolly. "I'm here today to test what you know." Wendy glanced at her audience, picking out a few faces from the crowd.

A young girl with a brown ponytail, squabbling quietly with a boy with a shaved head over what looked like half a roll of bread. A petite blonde girl with big, unassuming blue eyes, and the larger, tanner, freckled girl who slung her arm over the smaller one's shoulders. Another freckled face, this one belonging to a male, whose smile was larger than a peeled banana. His optimism made up for the stark lack of it in his tablemate's frown. Then there were the two boys in the back, one gangly and tall, the other shorter and stockier, both looking unusually old for their age.

She could tell that the war had hit them hard.

The same hollow look was mirrored in the eyes of the dark-haired, dark-eyed girl with a solemn face, a scarlet scarf swung around her neck despite the sweltering heat outside. The precocious-looking young boy next to her, and the gruff, intense-looking young man on her other side. There was something in his gaze that Wendy rather liked.

_Fiery determination, perhaps?_ she thought absentmindedly. Either way, he reminded her of herself, back during her trainee days.

Finally, her eyes fell upon a young girl with a hawk-like, sloping nose, icy blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. Their gazes met for a moment, and the girl was brave enough not to break eye contact. _Gutsy._

Hiding a smile, Wendy turned away to gaze at the entire trainee division once more. She spread her arms out wide in a welcoming gesture.

"Now then, shall we begin?"

* * *

A/N: Supes long chapter to compensate for the mini-hiatus I took between chapters 8 and 9 T_T Sooorry! As you can probably tell, a lot of shitty shit and fluffy shit happens in this chapter, and I have a heck of a lot to say about it, so if you want to see some explanations/rants/thoughts about it, go on my tumblr and I'll post something on it. Links on my author page.

**CONTEST RULES: (1) you must have a fanfiction account so I can contact you, 2) you have to write a review on THIS chapter. **It doesn't have to be on anything specific, though I would love if you could tell me what you thought of the chapter and what you want to see in the future! The contest will end by the time I upload Chapter 11. **THREE RANDOM WINNERS. **You will win a fantastic prize, TBD.

**-Anon reviewers still welcome, but you will not be entered into the contest unless you give me some way to contact you.-**

**Thanks to:** everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! Special shout-outs to: **Kanako Arichi, GiGitheHedgehog, sereneskydragonslayer, EvilVampireDucky, An Echo in Time, Hana-Lizzie-Chan, MrsGooglyBear, AmaranthineImbalance, Skymaiden777, safranbrod, THC, Lani0108, Xylenia, cocoamilo, Tennu, SereneSins, NixxH, Mirre98, Sarafinja, jychan, Smokeyuchiha, Xoraan, Thehellhound, Mr. Saxobeat, 6teenana1**


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